In the cold of space you find the heat of suns vFF
by Mannah Pierce
Summary: Can his spacer crew keep Sasuke alive and his identity secret so he survives to lead a new Uchiha? Will the fox-boy they acquire affect Kakashi's carefully laid plans? Naru/Sasu/Naru Kakashi/Iruka Neji/Shikamaru plus other M/M and a few M/F. SciFi. AU.
1. Intimacy issues

This story is set in the far, far future when humans have spread across galaxies and all historical contact with Earth and our history has been lost, although there is some cultural continuity. There is no pervasive religion. Cultural mores are set locally.

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**This is the first chapter in a series that is now complete. It is 366 chapters arranged in three long stories, one short, ten one-shots, one two-shot and one five-shot. It took four years to write and all of it is on this site (with any bits considered too adult for his site edited out). Enjoy!**

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_This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings._

_This story has already been published on the AFF dot net site._

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**Warning: This story features male/male relationships. If you are uncomfortable reading about gay male relationships do not read this story.**

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Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable. I understand if this makes this story unacceptable to you.

* * *

**1. Intimacy issues**

* * *

Kakashi walked beside Captain Tsunade through the corridors of the space station Tarrasade.

He had prepared for fourteen standards in anticipation of this day.

* * *

Fourteen standards ago he had been escorted to the main hall of the Uchiha household. Fugaku-kyou himself had been there. Kakashi had kneeled and pressed his forehead against the floor before requesting, yet again, that he be allowed to kill himself.

"No, Kakashi," Fugaku had said. "It was not your responsibility that Obito died. If it was I would kill you myself."

Kakashi had not cared. He had sworn to protect Obito with his life and Obito had died before him. Nothing else had mattered.

"I have a task for you, Kakashi." Fugaku had continued. He had beckoned and a woman had come forward with a newborn. "Kakashi, this is my son."

Kakashi had felt a tiny stirring of interest. The clan elders had constantly badgered Fugaku to have a second child: a spare.

"One day, Kakashi, Sasuke will join a crew as cat. I wish you to be there. I require you to stand in my place during those standards when he will be vulnerable. No one must know why you are there or your close connection to this clan."

Kakashi had known that Obito would have wanted him to accept: it was not the honour, although that was great, it was that this child would need him to survive. Kakashi had swore the oath, returned to spacing and begun.

* * *

"No one must know who the lad is." Tsunade was saying. "Not even Iruka," she added.

"I understand, Captain." Kakashi said. He knew, the Captain knew and, unknown to Tsunade, Jiraiya knew. Three people, plus a yet unknown number of outsiders, were considerably more than 'no one': too many for Kakashi's taste.

She scowled at him. "If it wasn't for you we would not be in this mess."

Kakashi shrugged. She did not know the truth she spoke. As far as she knew, Sasuke's guardian had looked for an established, discreet, tradition crew with a low tendency for violence and a strong enough fighter to defend against all challenges. Kakashi was that fighter and therefore, in Tsunade's eyes, he was the reason the Silver Leaf had been chosen over other, possibly more suitable, ships.

It hurt him that they were not heading for the Uchiha compound: that the household was now sealed and empty; that they all, like Obito, were dead; that Sasuke Uchiha had been raised for half his childhood in by another clan.

It was not unusual for a captain to be summoned to the offices of the Fire Shadow organisation, or even to see its head, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Kakashi hoped that Hiruzen-sama had been discrete and that the boy had a believable cover for being at his guardian's office.

Kakashi had braced himself to see an Uchiha, but his first thought was that the boy was incredibly beautiful and that the difficulty of his task had just increased a hundredfold. His shock and anxiety was mirrored in the Captain's face. She swore, which was acceptable as she was an outsider and a woman. Hiruzen-sama's reaction indicated that he felt guilty rather than insulted. There was the customary round of introductions, during which the boy behaved perfectly.

"I have tried to persuade Sasuke-kun that he has other options but he has always insisted on continuing on the path his father laid out for him. He has been very single-minded in preparing to join a crew." Hiruzen told them.

Kakashi watched the boy's face. Youngster's faces were usually so mobile, so expressive, but his was like a mask.

"We have prepared a standard application video, as you requested," Hiruzen-sama continued. "Do you anticipate any problems persuading your crew?"

Kakashi knew that one look at this boy in the flesh would set off every alarm in Iruka's head. "It may be wise to obtain the agreement of the crew before they meet Sasuke in person," Kakashi suggested. "Perhaps a cover story that he will have to travel a long distance to join us. Is there a far flung system with which you are familiar, Sasuke?"

There was silence as the boy considered. "I went to school on Elleton for a short time," he admitted.

"Excellent!" the Captain declared. "Now, Hiruzen-sama, do you have any business for us?"

Tsunade muttered obscenities all the way back to the ship. Kakashi sympathised.

The Captain gave Kakashi the task of persuading the rest of the crew. A swift look at the boy's application video confirmed that Iruka would be the only problem. With a word here and a suggestion there, Kakashi managed to derail Iruka's usually infallible instincts so that all he saw in the video was a boy hiding his insecurities. Genma was too busy drooling over the holo to ask questions. Ibiki was impressed by the boy's impeccable education. All Shikamaru had cared about was being promoted to crew so that he no longer had to suck Jiraiya's prick. The vote was seven to zero in favour.

A single division in space was enough to confirm Kakashi's worst fears. A cat was the lube that made living in the crew room bearable. A cat was someone for them to look after, to teach and to care for. A cat stopped tensions building by fulfilling their role as catamite.

None of these were easily compatible with a boy who behaved as if he was carved out of ice, even one with alabaster skin and eyelashes to die for.

They had settled into their usual cycle. The cat spent one evening and night with each crew member and had the eighth for himself. It was Sasuke's evening with the Captain, which was a relief because it meant Sasuke was in the Captain's cabin rather than in the crew room. Even Kakashi was looking forward to it, at least until he entered the crew room and realised that it was suspiciously full.

He tried escaping but Shikamaru had walked in behind him and was closing the door. Iruka's eyes bored into him, daring him to leave, so Kakashi smiled with his eye and continued into the room as if it had never occurred to him to flee. In future he would be more suspicious of Shikamaru's offers to play Go.

He flopped down next to Iruka who gave him a look and moved to an adjacent couch. Kakashi sighed. Everyone else was here, even Jiraiya. Genma sat high up, pretending disinterest, the ever-present metal needle projecting from the corner of his mouth. Ibiki was lying on his back, staring at nothing.

"That's everyone," Ibiki growled, "get on with it, Iruka."

"We have a problem." Iruka began.

"The Brat." Genma agreed.

"While in many ways Sasuke is an excellent cat," Iruka began.

"It's like fucking a block of ice." Genma interrupted. "You and Kakashi have each other. We don't have that luxury. I never thought I would say it, but I wish Shikamaru had never been promoted. At least my cock didn't feel like it was dipping in liquid nitrogen."

Kakashi flinched.

Iruka sighed, "Ibiki?" he asked.

"I have given up," the big man admitted, "masturbation is more enjoyable. Even so, Sasuke is an asset. He will be an outstanding crew member. There have always been some asexual spacers."

"Jiraiya?" Iruka asked.

The old man shrugged. "His technique is excellent. I shut my eyes and fantasise." He turned to Genma. "If you think of him as a sex doll rather than as human..."

"Jiraiya!" Iruka's voice was like a slap and Jiraiya stopped talking but shrugged. "Shikamaru," Iruka continued, "do you have anything to add?"

Shikamaru grimaced. "I tried sucking him, but it only made it worse."

Kakashi did not like the look in Iruka's eyes. He needed this discussion to end with Sasuke labelled as asexual. "It does not help that we get challenged every time we take him off the ship," he stated.

Having lobbed the firework into the fire Kakashi sat back and watched Genma and Iruka battle it out, waiting for Iruka to win outright or Genma to give up.

He moved to the table and placed the Go board on its surface, knowing that Shikamaru would appear opposite him within seconds. They settled into the game while Genma and Iruka traded insults.

"What did you mean, 'it only made it worse'?" Kakashi asked.

Shikamaru shuddered. "He froze up and when he started to get hard, he tensed up even more. I gave up. I thought he would start screaming."

Kakashi appeared to be concentrating on the board but inside his mind was racing. Sasuke was not asexual. He was bomb and Kakashi had no idea when and where he would explode.

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_Author's note_

Spacing is an almost exclusively male profession. Spacers have developed their own mores and traditions. The age of consent is fourteen (fourteen 'standards', as local years will vary). Although there may be temporary and permanent relationships within a crew, it is acceptable for any crew member to have sex with any other crew member. The youngest member of the crew, the cat, is expected to be available for sex to all crew members. It is utterly unacceptable for a crew member to have sex with someone outside a Traditional crew without the crew giving permission. Almost all spacers start out as cats.

One standard is the equivalent of one of our years. There are ten divs in one standard. Minutes and seconds are the same length as our minutes and seconds.


	2. Seeking a substitute

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable. I understand if this makes this story unacceptable to you.

* * *

**2. Seeking a substitute**

* * *

Tsunade was thankful for Kakashi's warning. She had been shocked that Iruka had made the meeting formal, so The Brat had to be present, but realised that the boy had to know. Better this way than Genma yelling at him in the crew room.

"We understand that the terms of the contract of hiring means that we cannot swap him or voluntarily yield him to another crew." Iruka was saying,

Tsunade would not have thought it possible in one so pale, but the boy had blanched at Iruka's words. Iruka saw it: Tsunade watched him bite his lip before continuing.

"And, despite his considerable skills, we cannot promote him. Although Sasuke is a remarkable fighter for his age and build he could not, as yet, protect himself from the challenges that would result."

Tsunade watched the boy staring at a point on the floor. The last crew that had challenged the Silver Leaf for him had put forward a knife-fighter as champion. The Silver Leaf had chosen Iruka. Tsunade had watched the boy rather than the battle, the realisation dawning in his eyes that Iruka may die. Iruka had slashed the man's throat, but was cut on the arm. He was still wearing one of the portable regens.

"So Sasuke must remain with us, as cat, but only Jiraiya finds sexual interactions with him pleasurable. This is a source of tension for the crew. We wish the Captain to help us resolve this issue."

She was ready. "You can recruit a second cat," she told them.

There was silence. "Two cats," Genma checked.

Tsunade nodded, "This has happened twice before in the crew history. Understand that it is a solution to a specific problem rather than a precedent."

"Stay," she ordered the boy once the meeting had ended. She settled into her chair and watched him preparing her drink. He was upset. She could tell by the way he moved. He placed the drink on the surface to her right. "Foot massage," she told him.

He was an excellent masseur. Perhaps Jiraiya was correct and it was best to treat him like an android. If one did not expect emotions, then the lack of them was rather peaceful. On the other hand, if Kakashi was correct the boy represented a source of unpredictable risk.

"Most cats have few useful skills," she told him. "Cats like you, trained for space, they are rare. You will help train him. This will go some way to make up for your inadequacies." She watched the elegant pale hands moving across her skin. "Is there something you wish to say?" she asked, hoping that this time, perhaps, he would initiate a conversation.

"No, Captain," he replied.

"Two cats." Shikamaru kept repeating. Kakashi knew he was thinking about how few chores he would have to do. The lad was irredeemably lazy. He caught Iruka's eyes and they smiled. Shikamaru had no idea that a normal cat, a non-Sasuke cat, created more work than they accomplished.

Genma was at the console, reviewing their next three drops as potential sources of a cat. He grimaced, "We're a long way into the Fringe."

"That does not mean we will not find anyone." Iruka reassured him. "Just that we will need better eyes."

"But isn't it best to recruit from planets with a spacer tradition?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not always." Kakashi replied, his eye sweeping appreciatively across his lover's body and watching Iruka flush in response.

"I was from the far Fringe." Iruka admitted.

Kakashi remembered the skinny, nondescript, brown boy and Jiraiya insisting that they needed glue rather than yet another component. At the time Kakashi had dismissed what he said as more of his usual nonsense. Now he knew better. Iruka had turned a dysfunctional group into a family.

"I apologise, Iruka-sensei," Shikamaru was saying.

Iruka placed a hand on the young man's arm. "I was not insulted, Shika-kun. You could not know what I had not told you."

When Kakashi thought about it, Iruka never spoke about his childhood with anyone other than him. He studied the other two. Genma and Ibiki were as surprised as Shikamaru, although they were trying to hide it. Neither of them had been crew when Iruka had been recruited. They were buy-ins. Genma had been with them three standards, Ibiki five.

"We will rely on your intuition, Iruka." Ibiki stated.

Iruka gave a sad smile. "It did not aid us with Sasuke," he admitted.

Kakashi's felt Ibiki's gaze on him. "You should not blame yourself for that," the scarred man insisted. "The boy has many excellent characteristics. None of us…" Kakashi could almost hear 'even Kakashi' "…raised any objections."

Five planets and two divisions later they were still looking. Shikamaru had started servicing Genma, which was a relief to everyone; sexual frustration shortened the boatswain's already limited fuse. There was no longer the pretence that Sasuke spent personal time with anyone other than Jiraiya and the Captain. The atmosphere in the crew room had improved. Even Genma was beginning to appreciate what the boy could do rather than what he could not.

They were preparing for drop. As cat, Sasuke prepared the crew room under Iruka's supervision. Iruka watched him stow each item in its designated place then move the couches into their drop positions; faultless, as always.

"Minunderville is a dangerous place," he began and watched Sasuke's attitude change from neutral to attentive. "What do you know of it?"

"Little. It is the primary space station for this sector. Experts consider it the fifth most important trading station in the inner Fringe. It has a reputation for violence. This is probably because it chooses to accept false credentials from pirate ships masquerading as spacers." To Iruka's surprise the boy looked away. "You should consider leaving me on the ship. The possibility of challenge is high."

"And what would it do to the Silver Leaf's reputation if others realised that we had left our cat on the ship?" Iruka asked.

The way the boy was holding his body altered slightly. It was the change Iruka was beginning to associate with his stubbornness. "Shikamaru was your cat," he suggested.

"Shikamaru has his knife now." Iruka reminded him and the boy froze.

"I apologise, Iruka-sensei. I request that you do not inform Shikamaru-san of my thoughtless and stupid remark."

Iruka wanted to ruffle the boy's hair and decided to risk it. The boy stopped himself shying away and submitted. "I accept your apology, Sasuke. You are young. Making mistakes is part of being a cat. Go to the Captain and assist with her preparations for drop."

Even so, Iruka was careful how he dressed the boy, avoiding anything eye-catching. He saw Ibiki watching them. "It may help a little," he suggested.

"Perhaps a little," Ibiki conceded. "Sasuke, you need to move smoothly and do nothing to attract attention."

The boy nodded. "I understand, Ibiki-sensei."

The scarred man was pleased to be given the title, Iruka could tell. "Sasuke, go ask the Captain if there is anything she needs you to do before we head out. He watched the boy vanish into the corridor. "You like him," he said to Ibiki with a smile.

Ibiki did not bother to scowl. "He has a quality," he admitted. Iruka wondered if he was about to say more, but the big man turned back to preparing his weapons.

Kakashi, who had been perched on a top bunk observing Iruka interacting with Sasuke, waited until Iruka was fetching something from storage.

"Thank you, Ibiki," he said in a voice pitched to reach only the scarred man's ears.

"It was not the time," the big man growled, "but such a time cannot be delayed much longer."

The floor vibrated with the footfalls of thousands. The corridors were filled with tight groups that moved past each other without touching. Moving as a unit, utilitarian and compact, they passed a fight without pausing, stepping over the rivulets of blood.

They did not even make it to the unit they had rented as a base. The crew stepped into their path and issued the challenge.

"For the cat," their spokesman stated, as if such a clarification was necessary. Kakashi's stomach dropped. He spared a glance at Tsunade's face and saw confirmation. They knew. They were here for the specific task of acquiring Sasuke Uchiha. That meant that they had a knife-fighter who was better than Iruka. He slipped a finger under his eye patch.

Iruka missed Kakashi activating his eye, he was too busy observing their knife-fighter, but nothing could make him miss Kakashi's reaction to the implant making its connections. A stranger may have missed it, not his lover, not Iruka. Kakashi was expecting to fight and thought the situation required him to perform at his peak, despite the price.

The other crew were shocked when Silver Leaf put forward Kakashi as their champion. Tsunade could taste her relief. They were less informed than she had feared. Perhaps they were merely mercenaries, instructed to acquire Sasuke without knowing who he was. They were had expected Iruka to fight and put forward their knife-fighter as planned. Kakashi slaughtered the man within seconds. It was always like that, inhumanly fast, leaving those who watched wondering what they had seen.

The other crew gathered up the body and tossed another onto the bloodstained floor before walking away. Tsunade stared at it. There had been no negotiation, no agreement of reparations. That meant Silver Leaf acquired the losing crew's cat. He was undersized, grubby and unconscious. Ibiki caught her eye and she gave the slightest of nods. He scooped the boy up and they headed back to the ship. Deals would be compromised, but Kakashi would need to be home when the aftershock hit him.


	3. Inadvertently acquired

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable. I understand if this makes this story unacceptable to you.

* * *

**3. Inadvertently acquired**

* * *

Sasuke concentrated on moving smoothly and keeping his place in the group. In front of him was Ibiki's broad back and the upper half of the boy. His hair was dyed blond and he smelt. Sasuke wondered what they would do with him. It was easier than thinking about what had happened.

Behind Kakashi's eyepatch lurked one of the deadliest weapons ever created by the Uchiha clan, an implant that gave the user superhuman senses and speed. Sasuke had grown up with such men and while most of them had been killed during the massacre, the remainder had been assembled to act as his bodyguards and mentors when he was moved to Hiruzen-sama's household.

Sasuke knew that activating the implant demanded a price. Kakashi was beginning to stumble before they reached the spur where the ship was docked. Their return was unscheduled so it took far too long to dismantle the security. Genma was lookout, the metal stick in his mouth jumping erratically. Finally the last seal was broken and they entered. The Captain stomped away in the direction of her cabin. Jiraiya sank down there in the corridor and produced a vial of blue liquid, which he swallowed. Iruka was taking more and more of Kakashi's weight as they headed toward the crew room until Shikamaru ran after them and ducked under Kakashi's trailing arm.

Ibiki tried to hand the boy to Genma, who wrinkled his nose in disgust, shook his head and began the task of persuading Jiraiya toward the crew room before the drug fully hit his system whereupon there would be no alternative to using a stretcher. Ibiki swore and moved to place the boy on the ground so that he could finish reinstating the security. Sasuke surprised himself by holding out his arms.

"He's heavier than he looks." Ibiki told him as he gently transferred the boy into Sasuke's arms.

Sasuke braced himself against the bulkhead. He was glad of the warning, otherwise they would have ended up in a heap on the ground. He found himself studying the boy's face rather than watching Ibiki, even though it was his first chance to see someone securing the ship.

The boy was odd. His hair was strange. He had… …whiskers. There were three of them on each side, growing from his cheeks. His mouth was slightly open and Sasuke could see that his canines were long, and very pointed. He only half-heard Ibiki's exchange with the Captain, then the big man was reclaiming the boy from his arms. Sasuke looked up at him questioningly.

"He can't help the genes he was born with." Ibiki stated.

Sasuke trailed after them deep in thought. The boy was a hybrid, although less obviously than the ones Sasuke had seen displayed in freakshows. He wondered what species the genes had come from and whether the boy was a product of some recently failed experiment, or whether he was a descendent of one of the hybrid soldiers of antiquity. It mattered which, he knew that. Few modern hybrids could function well enough to survive. The intercom crackled.

"Is Sasuke busy?" the Captain asked.

Ibiki looked at him. "Yes, he's helping me with the boy. Iruka is with Kakashi."

They took him to the infirmary, where Ibiki stripped him, wiped the worst of the grime and placed him in the diagnostic tank. Sasuke realised that he had been wrong, either the boy's hair was naturally blond or he had nanobots, which did not seem very likely given the cost of nanobots and way the boy's ribs stuck out. He wondered if his last crew had fed him, or even if he was their cat and not some youngster they had found in an alley.

He stared at the body in the tank, listing the ways in which it was not quite human. His hair, even his public hair, was almost like fur. His attention was ripped away by Ibiki swearing at the dia-doc which was flashing red and spluttering error messages. The big man stabbed the intercom. "I need you, Shikamaru. Infirmary. The dia-doc has gone crazy."

It took Shikamaru forever to recalibrate the dia-doc so that it would accept data from the boy without assuming it was malfunctioning. Sasuke helped as much as he could. He knew that Shikamaru was cleverer than him. It had been a shock at first but Sasuke had discovered that he rather liked it. He liked losing at Go and having to ask Shikamaru explain things again. It made him feel human. Occasionally he would glance at the boy submerged in the green medigel. Each time the boy's hair seemed lighter.

"The dia-doc is cleaning him up." Shikamaru explained. "It's an automatic function, independent of the control unit." Shikamaru studied the boy through the green gel. "He's cute, in a weird way. You don't think he's a plant do you?"

Sasuke recoiled. The thought had never occurred to him. It would have been the perfect way to get a stranger inside the Silver Leaf. Being a traditional crew they had no choice but to care for a boy acquired in such as way. Making Kakashi use his eye ensured that they would return to the ship rather than proceed to the rented unit.

Skikamaru shrugged. "Don't worry. I always see more than is there. Do you know why they were sent to get you?"

Sasuke made a decision and gave the smallest of nods. Shikamaru nodded in acknowledgement and turned his attention back to the recalcitrant machine.

Finally the dia-doc accepted the boy's data and began functioning. Apparently he was drugged, estimated time of awakening 500 minutes. There were no other acute problems, although the boy was malnourished. Shikamaru reported in and they were told to set up the monitor and come to the crew room.

Kakashi was laying on one of the couches with his head in Iruka's lap. Iruka was stroking his temples and running the tips of his fingers through Kakashi's wild grey hair. Sasuke felt compelled to look, although he found such displays of affection painful. To his surprise, Genma ordered him into the galley to help with the meal: Genma rarely prepared food and usually avoided Sasuke. Sasuke steeled himself for what it knew would be the first of many interrogations.

"You weren't surprised by Kakashi's fighting style," Genma stated. "That's a first."

"I have seen it before," Sasuke admitted, "not Kakashi but others."

Genma's eyebrows shot upwards but he did not pry further. Spacers did not pry. "And the boy?"

Sasuke hesitated. No-one seeing the boy could miss the fact he was a hybrid. Shikamaru and Ibiki had spotted it immediately. "He appears to have some non-human genes. It sent the dia-doc crazy."

Genma smirked. "You know what they say about hybrids. They lack many human inhibitions. Let's hope he has enough of a brain to risk letting him loose in the ship. At least then I have something to screw other than Shikamaru."

Sasuke felt himself shutting down. "I am always available to you Genma-san," he said politely.

"Sasuke, I would prefer to jerk off. It's more fun. You are that bad a fuck."

Sasuke was more relieved than he was insulted. "I understand Genma-san."

Genma sniggered. "The weirdest thing is that I am beginning to see the funny side of it. A frigid cat. How the fuck does a crew get stuck with a frigid cat? And how in all known space did you manage to get so good at things that it almost makes up for it?"

Sasuke was wondering if Genma was losing it when Iruka appeared in the doorway. "I'll help Sasuke finish up," he said gently.

"But Kakashi?" Genma queried.

"Asleep. Go have a drink, Genma. Ibiki has opened a bottle of whisky."

Sasuke chopped and cleaned while Iruka cooked. Iruka said nothing.

"May I have a sleepdrug for tonight, Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke heard himself asking.

Iruka stopped stirring the soup and looked at him.

"I may have nightmares," Sasuke admitted, "and it would be thoughtless to disturb the others after such a stressful day."

Iruka waited.

Sasuke forced the words out. "I have seen Kakashi's style of fighting before," he admitted.

It was enough. Iruka nodded and ruffled his hair.


	4. New scents

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable. I understand if this makes this story unacceptable to you.

* * *

**4. New scents**

* * *

Naruto sniffed the air. It was thin, with traces of scents rather than overpowering odours. Even his own smell was dilute and unusually fresh. He listened. It was quiet. There were many people, probably seven, sleeping. No, six people sleeping and one awake but resting. The one closest was resting. He opened one eye, then the other. He was in a bunk, in the corner of a room, close to the ground. It was very clean and…

His hands flew to his whiskers. Last time he was somewhere this clean he had woken to find that they had cut them off close to his skin. They refused to understand why that had upset him so much and would not listen to him telling them about the advantages of having them. They wanted him as normal as possible. The day they told him that they were going to file his teeth was the day that he had decided that no amount of food and warmth was worth it and run away.

His whiskers were fine. Everything felt fine. If he wasn't so incredibly hungry he would feel excellent.

The person who was resting, the one on the bunk that was higher up on the adjacent wall, sat up and looked at him.

"My name is Shikamaru," he said, and then jumped down from the bunk, landing in a crouch on the balls of his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"My name is Naruto," Naruto told him, "and I am hungry."

Shikamaru, who was young but crew because he wore a knife, showed him where the head was and then took him into the galley and began putting food in front of him. After many platefuls the food stopped coming.

"Iruka will be cross if I let you eat so much that you hurl." Shikamaru explained. "You can have more later."

Naruto leaned back and burped. "Is Iruka your queen?"

"Yes, but he does not like being called that."

"And there are seven of you, other than your Captain. Unless there is another crew room. Or if some people sleep elsewhere. Or if your cat is in the captain's cabin."

Shikamaru's hand strayed to his knife and Naruto tensed, not knowing what he had done wrong. "How do you know that?" the young man hissed.

Naruto cowered slightly. "I heard them sleeping. Six people sleeping, one resting. You were the one resting."

The young man relaxed. "Your hearing is that good? Yes, there are eight of us. The captain, six crew and the cat."

Naruto was disappointed. He wasn't sure how he had got here but this was the best place he had seen for a long time, possibly ever. Only they already had a cat.

"I can't pay for the food," he admitted. "The only thing I have to offer is my arse and I guess you won't want it if you've already got a cat." He scowled at Shikamaru who seemed to have found what he said incredibly funny. "What should I do now? Do you want me clean up in here?"

Shikamaru managed to stop laughing, at least for a moment. He pointed back into the crew room, up at an isolated bunk in the top far corner. "That is Sasuke's bunk. He our cat. Go and introduce yourself to him and tell him I told him to look after you."

Sasuke the cat sure slept soundly. He didn't even wake up when Naruto sat on the edge of his bunk. He was pretty, really pretty, and Naruto couldn't imagine them needing someone else.

He frowned. It wasn't like a spacer to sleep that soundly. He leaned close and sniffed his sweat. Sleepdrug; that explained it. He scrambled down the wall and looked for Shikamaru. He found him talking with an older spacer in the galley. The conversation stopped immediately.

"My, who has the prettiest blue eyes," the older spacer drawled.

Naruto had heard that before. "And bright blond hair and cute whiskers," he added flirtily before turning to Shikamaru. "Sasuke's taken sleepdrug so he'll be grumpy if I wake him." He brought his gaze to the older spacer's face, then hooded his eyes slightly, knowing the effect it had. "Is this when I get to pay for my food?" The man's reaction was immediate and acute. Naruto could smell his arousal.

"No." said a voice behind him and the older spacer's interest dipped. "Shikamaru, are you going to introduce us?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei. Naruto, this is Iruka, who looks after us all, and Genma, our boatswain. Iruka, Genma, this is Naruto."

Naruto had known where he was with the older spacer, Genma, and he had liked Shikamaru. He did not know how to behave with this queen who did not want to be called a queen. Shikamaru had called him sensei. Perhaps… He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "The food was great and it is so clean and warm here. Thank you, Iruka-san."

It worked. The man smiled. "You are welcome, Naruto. Naruto, the Captain wishes to talk with you."

Naruto had not expected the Captain to be a woman or to have such an amazing chest. Naruto had seen the occasional entertainer, but none of them had a bosom like that. He desperately wanted to lay his head on it, so desperately that he had trouble listening to what she was saying, never mind understanding her. He was disappointed when she decided to leave.

Once she was gone he could focus on the big, scarred spacer, Ibiki. He was scary to look at but didn't smell vicious and Naruto soon realised it would be fine as long as he told the truth. As he had nothing to lie about it was easy.

Ibiki was most interested in his last crew and Naruto told him everything he could remember, which wasn't much other than being constantly fucked and continually hungry. He'd had better times, like when Ibiki told him that Kakashi had killed the psychotic knife-fighter. Ken had been truly scary. Sasuke was lucky to have someone protecting him who was strong enough to kill Ken.

"Iruka will be joining us for the next part, Naruto." Ibiki told him.

That was good. Maybe he had a chance of staying after all.

"How old are you, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

He would start with a question that Naruto couldn't answer. He shrugged, then pulled himself together as Iruka frowned. "I have no idea, Iruka-san."

"How many standards have you been sexually active?" Ibiki asked.

"Being fucked?" Naruto queried. Ibiki nodded and Naruto thought about it. He'd count from when he'd realised that being fucked meant eating regularly.

"Five, maybe six," he answered. He knew immediately that he had made a mistake. Iruka's face had turned from a warm brown, like a hazelnut, to a sickly yellow. He should have lied. This crew was nice. They wanted a cat, not a whore. They wanted someone clean, like Sasuke.

"It's not his fault, Iruka." Ibiki murmured.

Iruka turned on him. "Do you think I don't know that?" he snarled.

Naruto blinked. There was more to Iruka that showed on the surface. "It's the fox bits," Naruto heard himself telling them. "They mean I get over stuff quick and keep going."

Ibiki smiled at him. "So you know for certain it's fox genes?" he asked.

Naruto nodded. "The orphanage tested me. Before I ran away. They cut off my whiskers and they wanted to file my teeth." He showed them his canines.

Ibiki and Iruka exchanged looks and small nods. Iruka tried to look serious but his eyes were smiling. "Naruto, I am going to suggest that you stay with us for a division, as a trial. If it works out you can stay with us. If not, we will find a nice crew that suits you better."

"Yes!" Naruto yelled.

"I am pleased that you are pleased, Naruto, but you need to listen." Iruka was saying. "You will be our guest, not our cat. That means no fucking."

Naruto knew that was a really bad idea. "Iruka-san, I know you are trying to be nice to me but that won't work. It wouldn't be a proper test." He remembered the way Genma had looked at him. "And I like fucking. I didn't when I was younger but I do now. Since I started to squirt it's been great." The last was not quite the truth. Sometimes it had been great. Other times it had been painful, or scary, or both, like with Ken.

"You have Kakashi," Ibiki muttered in a voice that was so low that non-foxy ears would not have heard it across the table.

Iruka sighed. "Very well, a proper trial, with fucking."

Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head.


	5. Trial period

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.

* * *

**5. Trial period**

* * *

Sasuke woke to the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were watching him from the end of his bunk.

"Good, you're awake," their owner said. "I'm Naruto. Shikamaru said that I should wake you up, once ages ago and once about ten minutes ago, but Iruka-san agreed with me that waking someone early from sleepdrug makes them grumpy."

"I am Sasuke," Sasuke managed. The boy's hair was yellow, like sunshine.

"I know," Naruto told him. "Are you grumpy?"

The boy's skin was golden, a lighter shade than Iruka's but still warm. His whiskers danced when he talked.

"No", Sasuke answered. "Get off my bunk so I can get up."

The boy was waiting for him when he climbed down the rungs on the wall. He followed him to the head, thankfully waiting outside, and then watched Sasuke wash and dress. Sasuke thought about telling him to go away but he remembered what the Captain had said about him helping to train the new cat.

Iruka was in the galley. "A good day to you, Sasuke. I see you have met Naruto."

"Good day, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke replied. "I apologise for sleeping so late."

"That was my fault," Iruka admitted. "Next time I will know to give you less. Would you like some breakfast?"

"That is kind of you, Iruka-sensei. Thank you. That would be lovely."

Iruka smiled at Naruto. "We are usually very strict about meal times. Between meal times you may only get snacks." Iruka showed him where the fruit and the biscuits were kept. "The crew eats together and the Captain eats in her cabin. Sasuke will take the Captain her food for the next division. Occasionally she asks him to eat with her, or asks one of us to eat with her. If you stay on, Naruto, taking food to the Captain and perhaps eating with her will be one of your duties. Do you think you will be able to cope with that?"

Sasuke watched as the boy's face went crimson. It was fascinating. So the boy was on trial.

"I hope so, Iruka-san." Naruto's whiskers twitched and he flushed an even deeper red. "I think I made a bad impression on the Captain," he confessed.

"I saw," Iruka told him. "I was watching on the monitor, just as the Captain was watching when Ibiki and then I were talking to you."

Sasuke wondered what had happened.

"I haven't met many women," Naruto admitted. "Not since I started spacing."

Naruto had perved at the Captain. Sasuke was surprised he was still here.

"Naruto told us that he has been spacing for over five standards," Iruka continued. "While this means he is not a novice, he will still need to familiarise himself with this ship and with our ways. He will need to be aware of our mores, so that he can keep to them.

"Sasuke, Naruto will accompany you for the next five days, unless you are with the Captain or with someone for personal time. I want you to arrange for him to have a bunk close to you and you are to show him the closet so he can pick out clothes and anything else he needs. His performance will reflect on you, Sasuke.

"Naruto, I expect you to try your best."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei" Sasuke acknowledged and heard Naruto echoing his words with a "Yes, Iruka-san."

Sasuke was half way through his breakfast before Iruka's words sunk in. Unless the non-human genes kept him abnormally young, Naruto was no older than him. He looked younger. That meant he had been a child when he started spacing. The boy had been catting five standards. Five standards. The thought of it, the images of a child version of Naruto being abused, would not go away. Sasuke watched Naruto wheedling another breakfast out of Iruka. It was obvious that Iruka already liked him.

Watching Naruto select clothes from the closet was interesting. He went straight for anything orange and was disappointed if it did not fit. Other colours that attracted him were green and bright red. Most of the clothes were too big. Sasuke selected the ones that could be easily altered and told him that they would come back and work on them. Naruto looked at him.

"You sew?" he asked, as if there was something wrong with sewing.

Sasuke scowled at him. "Yes." He had an idea. "It is one of the skills Iruka-sensei expects a cat to have."

Naruto's eyes widened and then he frowned. "Is it difficult?"

Sasuke gave a little shrug he had not used since Hiruzen-sama had given up on the idea of sending him to school. "I find it easy," he said. Which was not a lie. Sasuke did find it easy now, after standards' practice.

By late afternoon the list of skills that Iruka-sensei expected a cat was long and Naruto was much more subdued. They were back in the closet and he was trying to master the sewing machine with little success. Ever so often Sasuke would set his hand-sewing aside and sort out the machine. Naruto had tried hand sewing and, rightly, decided that machine sewing must be easier. The machine jammed again and Naruto was off the stool, pacing, worrying his bottom lip and occasionally rubbing the back of his head.

"I can't do this," he complained.

Sasuke lay his sewing aside carefully and went to the abused machine. "I can see that," he acknowledged. "We will try again another day." He tried another approach. "I will tell Iruka-sensei that you tried."

It did not work; Naruto was grateful rather than annoyed. "You will? Thanks, Sasuke."

If duties allowed, the evening meal was formal. It was clear that this was foreign territory to Naruto but he watched Sasuke and tried. Iruka chose to overlook his mistakes and the others either followed Iruka's lead or did not care. Sasuke suspected it was the latter. At least Naruto picked up on the gentle reinforcement of the crew's hierarchy and did not speak until his turn, when Iruka asked him about his day. The boy rubbed the back of his head.

"We did things I can't do, like sewing, and things I thought I could do, like cleaning." He looked expectantly at Sasuke.

"Naruto tried hard," Sasuke heard himself saying, which evoked a grateful look from Naruto and a sharp one from Kakashi.

They then moved into what Iruka called conversation. Again, Sasuke was surprised how quickly Naruto realised that he needed to observe rather than contribute. Thinking about it, Naruto had mentioned at least six crews during the day. Adapting was probably one of his strengths. If his last crew was anything to go by, adapting quickly was probably the reason he was still alive.

Naruto was more relaxed once the informal part of the evening began. Sasuke was playing Go with Shikamaru while Naruto sat on a couch with Genma and flirted. Not that he needed to flirt because Genma could hardly keep his hands off him.

"I hope you've told him about the e-machine," Shikamura mentioned casually.

Sasuke had not. The head was the only place they had not visited together. He played Go appallingly badly until Naruto headed in that direction, then hurried to intercept him.

"Naruto, do you know how to use all the… …equipment in there?" he asked.

Naruto gave him a look that Sasuke was not sure he liked. "It's fine. I recognise the model. Believe me, Sasuke, this is one thing I know how to do."

Sasuke returned to Shikamaru, who had abandoned the ruined game and set the board up anew.

There was no missing the sounds of passion coming from Genma's curtained-off bunk, nor the boatswain's utter satisfaction the next morning. Naruto had been in his bunk when Sasuke woke up and was acting as if everything was normal, which Sasuke suspected it was if you were Naruto. It was only later, when they were scrubbing the head, that Sasuke realised that Naruto intended to retaliate for the day before and that he now had the ammunition to do so.

"Genma mentioned one cat's skill you lack." Naruto purred.

Sasuke tried to control his body language but knew he was failing. He knew he should say something to defuse the situation, but nothing came to mind. He heard himself merely acknowledging Naruto's comment. "Hn."

Naruto moved closer. This was the smaller of the two heads. Two people scrubbing filled most of the space. Sasuke felt the other boy push against him. It was surprisingly suggestive. Naruto made a little growl and, somehow, his hair came in contact with Sasuke's bare arm. It was soft, like fur. Sasuke realised that he was hard, acutely and painfully hard. He pushed Naruto away.

"Stop that," he ordered.

Naruto smiled slowly, teasingly, sensually. "Stop what?"

"You know," Sasuke insisted, not wanting to make the situation more real by describing it in words.

"Maybe I don't," Naruto said, moving even closer.

If Naruto came any closer he was going to realise how hard Sasuke was. Sasuke did not want that. He did not want to go there. He did not understand why his body, usually so cold, so slow to react, was so suddenly responsive. He had to do something to stop Naruto coming closer.

He punched him.

Naruto snarled.

The fight was short because Kakashi was close by. He reached in and dragged Sasuke away, managing to shut the door in time to stop Naruto's next attack. Sasuke heard Naruto's body hitting the door and more snarling. Sasuke was bleeding. Naruto bit. He also scratched. Iruka was standing a little way, off, stunned. Kakashi thrust Sasuke in his direction.

"You deal with this one," he said. All three of them flinched as Naruto's body hit the door again. There was a sound close to a howl. Kakashi was leaning against the door and his body shook as Naruto hit for a third time. "I'll keep the door shut until he calms down."

Iruka treated the bites and the scratches. Then he asked, "Who started it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was about to say Naruto, but that would not be fair. "I did. I punched him."

Iruka frowned slightly, "That isn't like you. What did he do?"

Sasuke knew that Iruka would not stop asking. He made a number of aborted attempts before he found the right words and forced himself say them. "He made me feel. I don't want to feel."


	6. The plan

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**6. The plan**

* * *

Kakashi waited until all he could hear was heavy breathing before he opened the door. The boy was crouched on the floor, close to exhaustion. Even so, he growled as Kakashi approach him. Kakashi cuffed him hard enough for it to be felt but with too little force to damage. The boy submitted, accepting Kakashi's alpha status.

Kakashi stoked his hair, so like fur, and then lifted him up and carried him out of the head and towards the infirmary. The boy's eyes were glassy. Kakashi doubted he saw the others as they moved out of their path.

Iruka was there, waiting.

"Where's Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"Scrubbing the lower corridor. He threw the first punch."

"Do you know why?"

Iruka nodded, but looked towards Naruto. "We need to talk. Later."

Most of the damage had been done by him hitting the door, although Kakashi suspected the incipient black eye was the result of Sasuke first punch. It could have been painful enough to have triggered Naruto's temper. They decided to sedate him and put him in the dia-doc tank. Then they went to the galley and Iruka shut the door.

"How dangerous is he?" Iruka asked.

"Which one?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka opened his mouth and then closed it again as he accepted what Kakashi was saying. "You have to tell me about Sasuke. At least some of it. I know he is in emotional shutdown but I don't know for how long, or why. I would also like to know what was happening when that crew challenged us."

Kakashi sighed. "I had to give my word. I will tell you what I can but you cannot ask for more."

Iruka nodded.

"Sasuke's family was killed when he was a child. I think he witnessed it. Certainly he was found with the bodies. He's been raised by a guardian. I believe that his guardian knew that catting would be… …difficult. He tried to persuade Sasuke into another profession, but his family have always been spacers and Sasuke knows that to be a true spacer you have to walk the whole path, from the beginning. His guardian chose us…"

"…because he knew that you were capable of protecting him." Iruka finished. "By the Lady, Kakashi, Sasuke's…"

Kakashi placed his fingers to Iruka's lips. "Please don't make me break my word, Ir-chan."

Iruka nodded. He was quiet for a while, then smiled. "And we put him with a feral fox boy who tries rip to his throat out." Iruka sighed and Kakashi realised that he was close to tears. "We'll have to send him away. He's too dangerous."

Kakashi was surprised how quickly Naruto had wormed his way into Iruka's affections. Not that he disliked the boy. It was hard not to like him. He began to think. "Maybe not. Naruto cannot lose his temper often, or he'd be dead by now."

"You heard him. You saw him. It's too much of a risk."

"We could offer him the option of a controller."

"Kakashi! Those things are evil."

"No, think. Shikamaru could probably set it so that was only triggered if Naruto goes berserk. It would mean he could stay. Maybe we can teach him to control himself without it. Maybe that will come naturally when he is older. It has to be a better option than sending him back out there."

Iruka reconsidered. "It has to be his decision. And it has to only be triggered when he has lost control of himself. Why am I willing to risk this, Kakashi?"

Kakashi smiled. "We all like him. And, perhaps, Sasuke punching him is a good thing. It suggests that Sasuke was experiencing some real emotions. Perhaps coping with our fox-boy would do Sasuke good."

Kakashi started with Tsunade, who took much persuasion. He had to be creative. It helped greatly that she had not seen Naruto berserk and therefore underestimated the risk. He then went to Shikamaru, who quickly dispelled any notion that what they were proposing would be easy. At least he agreed it was possible. Being still docked at Minunderville at least the components were available; the crucial parts were illegal in most places. Kakashi told Shikamaru to research purchase and delivery, but wait for confirmation.

Sasuke was still scrubbing the lower corridors. Kakashi could tell that he was punishing himself. His hands were raw. He had put enough ammonia in the cleaning solution for the smell to be acrid. Perhaps that was why his eyes were red. Kakashi pulled him to his feet by his upper arm and pushed him into a storage hold. He released him and pointed to a chest. Sasuke sat on it.

"We're going to have to send him back out there because of you, because you are Uchiha and he attacked you." Kakashi began.

Sasuke eyes closed. "That's not fair. I punched him."

"Life is unfair. You are Uchiha and he is less than human. You are precious and he is disposable. This is the life you must lead. People will die in your place. Risks will be removed no matter who is damaged in the process. Your every action has consequences. This is the reality of being Uchiha." Kakashi stopped, wondering if he had gone too far. For a moment he doubted his judgement. He had invested so much that it was sometimes difficult to maintain perspective.

Sasuke's back straightened. "I take responsibility. If it is possible, I want him to stay here. If not, he must be placed with a good crew. I will pay to buy him the best position available."

It was the first time Kakashi had glimpsed a future that might make his sacrifice worthwhile. He gave himself a few moments to savour the feeling, then took the next step. "We could ask him to accept a controller."

What little colour Sasuke had drained away. Even his lips were white. The only colour in his skin was the red around his eyes. "No," he croaked.

"Sasuke, if he loses control like that out there he will end up dead. Most crews would throw him out. Some would terminate him. I am only suggesting we offer it as an option."

There was a long pause while Sasuke made the decision. "His choice?"

"His choice." Kakashi confirmed.


	7. Thanks and apologies

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.

* * *

**7. Thanks and apologies**

* * *

It smelled like the crew room. Naruto was amazed. He was surprised to be waking up at all. It answered his question about whether he had killed Sasuke, because if he had he would be dead. At best he expected to be in some back alley in Minunderville.

It looked like they were going to let him live and even walk away. He had known that they were nice. He ached. He couldn't remember much after Sasuke's punch crashed into his face. He vaguely remembered Kakashi carrying him. He sat up, moaning slightly from the pain. It was time, putting it off would not help.

Iruka must have been watching for him to wake because the familiar voice told him to wash and get dressed and come to the galley. Iruka was almost, but not quite, acting as if nothing had happened. He even put food in front of him, but Naruto could not eat it. Perhaps they would let him take it with him for later.

"We need to talk." Iruka said.

Naruto could not stop the words tumbling out. "I didn't mean it. I couldn't help it. Is Sasuke badly hurt? Thank you for letting me live and for trying to feed me before throwing me out."

Iruka held up a hand for silence. "Sasuke is fine. Kakashi stopped the fight quickly."

"He did? Did I attack him? Is he hurt?" Naruto could not imagine managing to hurt Kakashi. Kakashi had killed Ken.

"Kakashi pulled Sasuke out of the head and shut the door. You hurt yourself trying to get out. Naruto, you need to listen. You need to answer some questions."

Naruto quietened and waited.

"Has this happened before?" Iruka asked.

"Twice before." Naruto could not look at Iruka. "Both since I started squirting."

"What triggers it? An attack?"

Naruto had thought at lot about that and what had happened with Sasuke fitted the pattern. "Yes, but it has to be unexpected, by someone not too scary and I have to be feeling vulnerable."

"You felt vulnerable with Sasuke?" Iruka queried.

Naruto scowled. "I was feeling him up and he was liking it. I could smell it. Too much of my mind was on fucking and nothing on defending myself."

"He was liking it?"

"His prick was hard." Naruto had a sudden thought. "Maybe he doesn't like his prick being hard. Genma said he was frigid. Does that mean he doesn't like having a hard prick?"

"Naruto!" Iruka scolded. "This isn't about Sasuke. It is about you. We think this happens because of your fox genes. The human parts and the fox parts were combined long ago to make a soldier. Being able to turn berserk made them better soldiers. You are turning berserk but you can't control it. That makes you very dangerous." Iruka bit his lip. "We think we may have a solution. There is this device, called a controller; you would have to wear it. It would render you unconscious when you went berserk."

Naruto tried to work out what Iruka was saying. "It would turn me off when I flipped?" he checked. Iruka nodded and Naruto felt suddenly lighter. "That would be awesome, Iruka-san. Thank you. When would I be able to get one?"

Iruka was smiling. "It was Kakashi's idea. It would have to be made for you, Naruto, and it may take a while to get it right. At first it may turn you off too often, perhaps when you were angry rather than berserk."

Naruto was nodding. He didn't care. He was going to get to stay. "I can cope with that. I understand. Better safe than sorry." He was suddenly anxious. "If I wear this thing I get to stay, at least to the end of the trial?"

"That's the plan, Naruto."

"And everyone has agreed to it? Even those who saw? Even Sasuke?"

"Sasuke feels guilty about punching you, Naruto. He knows better. And Naruto?"

"Yes, Iruka-san?"

"Sasuke was still fighting you when Kakashi pulled him off."

Naruto was looking for Kakashi but he found Sasuke. He had three parallel scratches on his right cheek, red eyes and his hands looked funny. He smelled horrid, like the corridors when they had just been cleaned. They looked at each other and then, to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke brought his hands together in front of him and bowed.

"I apologise for my behaviour, Naruto-san. It was inexcusable. I take personal responsibility for what happened."

Naruto knew something important was happening but didn't understand what. He rubbed the back of his head. "Hey Sasuke, it was me who flipped out and tried to rip you apart. I'm sorry too."

Sasuke straightened. "I attacked you without 'flipping out'. It was my fault. Have you spoken with Iruka?"

"Yes. They are getting me this thingy so I can stay." Naruto was suddenly uncertain. "Iruka said you agreed I should stay."

"I do not want you to leave because I punched you." Sasuke conceded.

Naruto wanted more. He did not understand why but he definitely wanted more. "I think we make a good team." Naruto suggested.

"We do?" Sasuke queried.

"Yea, at least as far as the sex-stuff goes. I'll look after Genma and Ibiki. You'll have to keep doing Jiraiya because he only wants to be sucked and I've yet to find a male that will let these," Naruto displayed his fangs, "anywhere near his prick. You look after the Captain because I go gaga when I see her." Naruto made extravagant gestures in front of his chest. "…front bits. Kakashi and Iruka only want each other and we'll share Shikamaru."

"Share?" Sasuke asked, faintly.

"You look after his brain and I'll look after his prick."

Sasuke smiled at that. "You have it all worked out."

"Only the sex-stuff." Naruto felt another wave of anxiety. "That's what you want, isn't it, not to have to be fucked? Or to fuck? Genma said that was why the crew was looking for another cat. He said that you were great at everything except the sex-stuff."

"I think Genma, Ibiki and Shikamaru would very much appreciate you looking after them." Sasuke admitted. "Now can we stop talking about sex? I have work to do."

"And I am looking for Kakashi." Naruto told him.

"He's in the Control Room. Be careful in there, Naruto," Sasuke called after him as he sped down the corridor, "don't touch anything."

Kakashi said exactly the same thing and pointed to a chair that was well away from any of the controls. The control room was interesting, with lots of machines and displays.

"You wanted to see me, Naruto?" Kakashi reminded him.

Naruto forgot about the machines and the displays. "Thank you, Kakashi-san. Thank you for getting Sasuke away from me before he realised it wasn't a normal fight. Thank you for not breaking my neck when you realised now dangerous I am. Thank you for knowing about the thingy and suggesting getting one for me. Thank you for killing Ken."

Kakashi smiled. "And I thank you, Naruto, for being thoughtful enough to thank me. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Naruto was still confused about his encounter with Sasuke in the corridor. "Sasuke did this weird thing when we met just now. He put his hands together and bowed and said sorry in a really polite way. It seemed important." Is it important? Do you know what it means?"

"Yes, Naruto. It is important and I do know what it means. It means more than sorry. It means that he is personally responsible for what happened. For example, if we had thrown you off the ship and you had died, he would have considered your death his fault. If you had family, I know you don't Naruto but go with me here, he would have taken on your commitments. Even if it meant supporting your parents or your children."

Once Kakashi mentioned children Naruto understood. "Wow," he said, "that's way more than sorry."


	8. The collar

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**8. The collar**

* * *

Shikamaru knew that trying the standard controller on Naruto was a bad idea. What the others did not accept, no matter what he said, was that the damn collar hurt the person wearing it. Of course it did. It was used by people who had slaves and people who used a controller on their slaves were not nice.

They asked Naruto if it hurt and he said no and they believed him. Of course Naruto said it didn't hurt. He was terrified that they would send him away if the experiment failed.

Not only did it hurt but it didn't work. It knocked Naruto out as soon as he got the least bit excited and Naruto got excited all the time. Shikamaru saw his face once and he knew that the pain was horrible before he fell unconscious but, again, they asked Naruto and he said it was fine.

Shikamaru needed to make Naruto admit now much it hurt. Then he would be ready to suggest alternatives to the damn collar.

He chose a Meeting. Everyone had a right to speak at Meetings and the others had to listen. Once they had gone through the entire agenda, most of which was boring, they got to 'any other business' Shikamaru raised a finger. There were groans. It had been a long Meeting.

"I wish to put it in the record that Naruto's controller causes him pain and is ineffective because it reacts purely to adrenalin, which Naruto seems to produce in copious quantities in response to a wide range of stimuli."

"It's fine." Naruto insisted.

"It does knock you out too often." Iruka admitted.

Shikamaru ploughed on. He held up the other controller that he had bought to study its components. It had taken him days to reassemble it and he hoped that it proved worth the effort. "I have a second controller. I propose that one of us try it on so that we can confirm Naruto's assertion that it is painless. Sasuke is the closest in body mass to Naruto, so it would be best if he tried it."

"No." Naruto and Kakashi said simultaneously.

Shikamaru had not expected Kakashi to intervene. It complicated matters. He was casting about for who to suggest next when Sasuke solved the problem by taking the controller from his hand and began putting it on. Naruto then hurled himself across the table to grab the collar from Sasuke before he could fasten it.

Shikamaru had not allowed for one of Naruto's adrenalin surges. His collar poleaxed him in mid lunge. This time he screamed. Shikamaru guessed that he was too distracted with stopping Sasuke to cover it. That or the collar had interpreted the lunge as an attack and could dish out more punishment than Shikamaru had suspected.

He also did not expect Sasuke to continue putting on the collar, nor for Sasuke to start having convulsions, nor for Kakashi to hit him so hard or so often.

Sasuke was in the dia-doc tank and Iruka was looking after Naruto, which left Kakashi treating Shikamaru with Ibiki watching to ensure Kakashi did not hit him again. Shikamaru was thankful that the dressings included an analgesic because he was sure that Kakashi would have omitted it if possible.

"For someone so intelligent, how did you manage to be so stupid?" Kakashi growled.

It was at times like this that Shikamaru wished he could control his urge to argue. "It worked. No one thinks the collar does not hurt Naruto. How was I to know that Sasuke has had anti…" the rest of the sentence was lost in pain as Kakashi tweaking his just set broken nose.

"Just checking it was straight," Kakashi said and Ibiki settled back into his seat. Kakashi managed to get his mouth close to Shikamaru's ear. "Never say it. Preferably never think it."

Shikamaru was suddenly very thankful that he was a member of the Silver Leaf's crew because otherwise, he realised, Kakashi would have killed him. He almost wet himself and managed one small nod.


	9. Rivals

_Thank you to those who have left a review. They are very much appreciated._

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

******************This story includes male/male relationships.**

* * *

**9. Rivals**

* * *

Once everyone had recovered from what had become That Meeting, they settled into a routine. Naruto's controller was replaced with a simpler version that Shikamaru had designed and built. Each crew member, including Naruto himself, was given an activator to use if Naruto went berserk. Shikamaru kept working on a more sophisticated version that would work automatically and painlessly.

Naruto was outstanding at the fucking part of the cat's role, with the exception of blow jobs. Sasuke continued to be terrible at the fucking part, also with the exception of blow jobs. Naruto was improving dramatically at everything that did not rely on a thorough education. Sasuke was excellent at everything that did not include fucking.

It was a restful five divisions, only punctuated by the party to mark Naruto officially becoming cat and the occasional drop.

Then Kakashi decided it was time to begin teaching them to fight.

The Silver Leaf was unusual in that it had a large gym. It had started out as a pressurised cargo hold, but as the Silver Leaf currently specialised in small, high priced items the space was rarely required. Kakashi had converted it from a cargo hold occasionally used for exercise into a gym used occasionally for cargo. Everyone knew that Kakashi started by testing cats out and everyone but the Captain had managed to arrange their duties to be there. Even Tsunade was watching via the monitor.

Noone was surprised that Sasuke knew what he was doing. Shikamaru speculated that he had begun martial arts training as soon as he could walk and noone disagreed. However Kakashi was taller, stronger and much more experienced, so Sasuke lost. Repeatedly. He took it well.

Naruto was a shock to everyone. He had happily announced that Ibiki was responsible for the activator during the fight but that it wouldn't be needed because the fox part of him thought of Kakashi as an alpha. Everyone heard Kakashi tell Naruto to give it everything he had. Naruto asked if that included biting, scratching and gouging. Kakashi smiled and said that he was welcome to try.

The fight lasted until Iruka insisted they stop. They were both panting and Kakashi's skin was peppered with scratches, with occasional teeth marks. Naruto was inhumanly fast and, no matter how he was thrown, he always ended up on his feet facing in the best direction.

Naruto bounced about singing about being good at fighting as well as fucking.

Kakashi was delighted and kept saying so.

Sasuke was jealous and tried to hide it.

Naruto took a while to realise that Sasuke's bad mood wasn't an intense form of his usual grumpiness. Once he worked that out he looked for patterns. It was worse after Naruto had his one-to-one training sessions with Kakashi. The day that Kakashi banned him from sparring with Sasuke, because Naruto was too fast and too strong, had sparked actual avoidance, with monosyllabic answers to Naruto's questions when duties forced them together.

"I don't get it." Naruto complained to Shikamaru. "I'm only good at two things. He's good at hundreds of things. Why does he have act weird about one of my two things?"

"It isn't the fighting, Foxy. Of course you are going to be a better fighter than him. It's in your genes, just like his genes make him cleverer than you. It's Kakashi." Shikamaru struggled to find words that wouldn't get him or Naruto killed. "He admires Kakashi and, suddenly, Kakashi is more interested in you than him."

Naruto thought about it and decided that Shikamaru could be right. It fitted. He tried calling Kakashi sensei and noted the tiny hitch in Sasuke's breathing. Naruto thought about talking about it to Sasuke but Sasuke would get upset, which was bad. He considered talking to Kakashi but Kakashi was likely to pretend not to hear. He decided to talk to Iruka instead; Iruka had ways of forcing Kakashi to listen. He waited until he and Iruka were sorting out the closet.

"Iruka-sensei, please get Kakashi-sensei to stop training me," he began.

Iruka stopped folding and stared at him. "Naruto?"

Naruto felt his face flushing. "Sasuke… Sasuke and I were getting on. Now he's avoiding me. Shikamaru thinks it's because Kakashi has forgotten him and is interested in me instead."

"You shouldn't listen to Shikamaru." Iruka murmured automatically. "Kakashi would never lose interest in Sasuke. Naruto, crews need fighters to protect them. That's now spacing works. You are going to be a great fighter. You could help Kakashi protect this crew. To do that you need to train and only Kakashi is a good enough fighter to train you."

Naruto liked the idea of protecting his crew. It made him want to train more. "But Sasuke…"

"I will think on it." Iruka promised.

Four days later Naruto found himself sitting with Sasuke in the crew room instead of performing his usual duties. Iruka was fiddling with the controls for the wall display. He smelt stressed. Finally he managed to make the display obey him and two columns appeared, one orange and one blue. To the left of the blue column and to the right of the orange column there were symbols with numbers next to them. The blue column was taller than the orange column but neither of them went more than a third up the display.

"I have decided that, with two cats, we need to introduce a performance tracker." Iruka began. "Naruto, you are orange and Sasuke you are blue." He tossed an earpiece and pointer to each cat and disappeared into the galley.

Naruto discovered that you pointed at the symbol and the earpiece told you what it stood for. They were skills you needed to do to be a good cat or were useful for the future. His pointer was over 'cleaning' and after announcing Naruto's overall score, it started telling him how Iruka had worked it out. Naruto glanced across at Sasuke, whose eyes were fixed on the display. He was scowling. Naruto tried pointing at one of Sasuke's scores but there was no voice in his earpiece.

"Stay on your own side, dobe." Sasuke growled.

Naruto froze. Sasuke had never called him stupid before. His hands tightened into fists, but then a small thought crept into his mind. Sasuke was insulting him. He had never heard Sasuke insult anyone. It meant something. Iruka's performance thingy had made Sasuke think about him differently.

Naruto stared at the display while another thought slowly formed and grew. Iruka was comparing him to Sasuke and he was, Naruto sized up the two columns, half as good. Naruto decided to take a risk. "As if Iruka would let me hear your stuff, teme."

Sasuke eyes widened, then there was the slightest suggestion of a smile. "Dobe."

"Teme."

Sasuke's eyes went back to the display. "I have a higher fighting score than you," he observed.

"What!" Naruto's gaze flickered between the two scores.

"Kakashi said that we should measure current performance against potential maximum." Iruka told them, bearing a tray with two hot drinks and a plate of biscuits.

"You didn't do that for the sex-stuff." Naruto grumbled. "Or Sasuke would have full marks."

Sasuke took a moment to realise how thoroughly he had been insulted. His eyes searched the orange side of the screen. "At least I don't have any zeros. Dobe."

"But I'm not allowed in the Control Room or the Engine Room!" Naruto complained.

"You need to ask Shikamaru about simulators, Naruto," Iruka told him. "Sasuke probably used them before he joined as cat."

Sasuke smirked.

"You could have told me," Naruto seethed. "Teme!"

Kakashi took time to accept that a simple scoring system, created within four days by an uneducated Fringer, could have more effect than battalions of tutors or centuries of tradition. Having the fox-boy on his heels was exactly what Sasuke had needed. He was finally trying.

And Naruto made a better rival than anyone could have anticipated. There provided to be little he could not do when he put his mind to it. As well as addressing his deficiencies, Naruto was determined to exceed Sasuke's fighting score. Kakashi even had to resort to activating his implant occasionally, despite Iruka's scolding.

As for the fox-boy's choice of insult, it was exquisite. He was calling a son of the Uchiha family a bastard and Sasuke was letting him. The first time Kakashi heard it he moved to hit the boy but Sasuke's hand on his arm stopped him. The look on Jiraiya's face was priceless. Even Tsunade paled before her lips twitched into a smile.

Three divisions later Sasuke's column was approaching the top of the display and Narutos was three-quarters as good as compared to half. Iruka was panicking. The others sympathised. Iruka's 'performance thingy', as Naruto called it, had improved life for everyone.

"Are the scores actually out of anything?" Jiraiya asked one morning as Iruka was estimating how long it would be before Sasuke topped out.

Iruka frowned. "No. I started thinking about them being out of one hundred but I decided it was wrong to imply that there was a limit to excellence."

Jiraiya smiled evilly. "Change the scale."

Naruto howled with frustration when he saw that his column was only one-quarter up the display. Sasuke was absolutely still. On the new scale, the difference between the height of the two columns barely showed.


	10. Conspiracy

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you to those who have left reviews. They are much appreciated._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**10. Conspiracy**

Naruto had never worried when he did not understand. There had been more important things to fret about, like finding food and not dying. Now he needed to understand the ship and how it worked. That would be the fastest way to improve his score and narrow the gap between him and Sasuke.

The problem was that he did not know where to start. He went to talk to Shikamaru. He was in the lab, which was the first place anyone looked for Shikamaru.

"You want to understand everything about the ship?" Shikamaru checked.

Naruto reconsidered. "I need to know as much as Sasuke."

"He has been training to be a spacer since he was born," Shikamaru told him, but the fox-boy just shrugged. "Let me think about it, Naruto. I'll get back to you." He could see that Naruto wasn't too taken by that idea. "Why don't you start by having a go on one of the simulators?"

That distracted Naruto while Shikamaru thought. He liked this type of problem, because it seemed impossible to solve it. How did an ignorant, uneducated fox-boy catch up with someone as well bred and carefully raised as Sasuke? Naruto was yelling at the simulator. Shikamaru smiled, then put in his earpieces and goggles and connected to his console. It was interesting.

Naruto could see from Shikamaru's face that this was going to be complicated. He thought of it as Shikamaru's 'trying to explain to Naruto' expression. Not that he hadn't seen the same expression on Shikamaru's face when he spoke with others, but Naruto was pretty sure he saw it more often than anyone else.

"I looked at the problem in three ways," Shikamaru began.

Naruto nodded, so far so good.

"Firstly, I did a task analysis. I looked at everything you'd need to know, that's in black, and everything you need to be able to do, that's in red."

Naruto shrank back at the huge tangle of black and red that appeared on the display.

"I then removed everything you would be incapable of understanding because you brain won't work that way."

The display changed, but not very much.

"This is what I think you could understand and do if we had unlimited time and resources," Shikamaru reinforced.

It was a lot. It made Naruto feel good. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he had thought he was.

Shikamaru had almost left that step out, in order to make the explanation shorter, but was glad he had not.

"This," he stabbed the pointer and the display simplified hugely, "is what you would need for a Iruka-level understanding of how the ship works. Iruka's job is to concentrate on the crew, so he doesn't need to know that much about how the ship works. I think this would be a sensible first goal."

Naruto frowned at him. "Are you saying that I should aim at being queen of a crew?"

Shikamaru found himself scanning the room for Iruka, even though Iruka almost never came into the lab. Being heard using the term 'queen' meant certain retaliation. "No. I am saying that this is the amount of information you need as a starting point. Not that you wouldn't make a good queen, Naruto. Most people cannot cope with that amount of power. They start hurting people. I don't think you would."

Now that made sense to Naruto: for everyday stuff queens had more power than captains. The queens he had met, with the exception of Iruka, were spiteful, vindictive and vicious. The moment they shown any weakness someone would be in there trying to get rid of them. "I really like it here," he said.

Shikamaru was familiar with Naruto's tendency to make comments that seemed unrelated to what had gone before but rarely were. "Iruka-sensei makes a good home for us," he said and was rewarded by one of Naruto's best smiles, the one that made you feel like the sun had come out from behind a cloud.

"Iruka-sensei is awesome," Naruto confirmed. He then saw and smelt Shikamaru's sudden interest. Shikamaru was like that. "Do you want to stop for a bit and fuck?" Naruto offered.

Shikamaru groaned, "You have to stop doing that, Naruto, it's too tempting. You know what Iruka will say if he catches us fucking when we are meant to be working."

"Genma asks for a quickie whenever he wants one. Iruka never says anything."

"He thinks it," Shikamaru assured him. "It will come out one time when they have a row."

Naruto shuddered. He hated it when Genma and Iruka went for each other.

Shikamaru felt slightly guilty for making Naruto feel bad but took the opening it gave him to proceed. This was the tricky bit, because he couldn't explain why it was important for Naruto to develop the knowledge and skills he would need to be Sasuke's chief of security. That would mean talking about whom Sasuke was, which would mean Kakashi would kill him. He almost wished he had never worked out.

"So that's our baseline," he resumed. "Then I thought about you. You are obviously a fighter. So I thought about weapons and that got me thinking about security. You said you were not sure about being queen, Naruto, but what about Ibiki's job? He keeps the ship safe."

Naruto nodded. Keeping the ship and the crew safe was important, really important.

"So I have sorted out a five-stage plan for you learning about weapons and security. I thought we could discuss it with Ibiki."

"Ibiki will like that." Naruto looked at Shikamaru carefully. "Shall I ask him?"

Shikamaru grimaced; trust Naruto to have picked up that he and Ibiki were never comfortable with each other. When he was cat, Ibiki had told him not to talk when they were fucking. He had been allowed to make noises and gestures, but not to speak. It had probably been the only way that Ibiki could find him attractive enough to fuck, but it had rather soured their relationship.

"Moving on to the third thing," Shikamaru continued. "I have analysed Iruka's performance tracker and I have found ten things you can do that are quick, easy and will bump your score up. I thought it would be fun to give Sasuke a bit of a scare."

Naruto grinned. He jumped and balanced himself on the arms of Shikamaru's chair with their noses a finger's breadth apart. One of his whiskers tickled Shikamaru's cheek. "Are you sure you don't want that fuck?" he purred.

Kakashi had thought that things were going well. Naruto had recruited Shikamaru to his cause, which had accelerated his progress from impressive to meteoric. Although some of it was Shikamaru manipulating Iruka's performance tracker, most of it was real. Persuading Ibiki to mentor Naruto was inspired, even for Shikamaru; Kakashi had never heard the big man talk so much.

Sasuke was over his initial panic at Naruto's sudden surge and had responded. He had hacked into Shikamaru's data and appropriated the analyses he had done on the ship's systems and Iruka's performance tracker. He was using his access to Tsunade to improve his understanding of trading.

So it was a shock when Jiraiya made the gesture requesting a secure conversation. That had only happened twice in all the standards they had worked together. Kakashi threw a die, which decided where they would meet, then communicated that information by the way he placed his cutlery. They met, apparently to audit the contents of a packing case, in the second pressurised hold.

"You have to make the decision to recruit Shikamaru or kill him," Jiraiya told him, "because he knows."

Kakashi was not surprised. "He is a genius. There are so many small clues." He frowned. "How do you know he knows?" He could not believe that Shikamaru would say anything, he was sure that he had scared him too much for that.

"There are a few clues in his secured files, which, interestingly, I would not have been able to access if I hadn't built the system so that I could monitor it constantly."

"He can create security that keeps you out?" Kakashi was impressed. "What clues?"

"Only a twenty-point plan for turning Naruto into the chief of security for an organisation that looks suspiciously like Shikamaru's vision of what Uchiha should be in the future. A vision which, I have to say, was fascinating."

"Oh."

"Is that the sum total of your response? 'Oh'." Jiraiya demanded.

"We will recruit him, but not yet. He won't say anything."

"And what about Iruka?"

Kakashi stiffened. "Don't even think of hurting Iruka," he warned.

"But he knows, doesn't he? You told him enough that he guessed."

"He's as trustworthy as Tsunade, probably more so."

"There is no point arguing about what has happened. One aspect of the plan is moving forward much more quickly than the others. Too many people on this ship know. We need to consider moving into the next phase."

"Already?"

"Kakashi, it is not like you to be so resistant. Even the best plans require occasional modification. That is my advice; accelerate the transition to the next phase. It is up to you of you take it."


	11. Reluctance

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Welcome to all readers. I hope you are enjoying this story. Thank you to those who have taken time to write a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**11. Reluctance**

* * *

Naruto was going to overhaul him. A fox-boy who had raised himself in gutters was performing better than Sasuke Uchiha. Damn Shikamaru; Sasuke had been able to keep at least some of his advantage before Shikamaru had become Naruto's advisor. Now whatever he tried only gave him temporary respite.

He had gone to Ibiki and respectfully asked to attend the sessions he was giving Naruto. That meant he had kept pace for the strategic, tactical and technical aspects of ship security. Then they moved onto weapons and Naruto wiped the floor with him. Battle simulations were even worse, Sasuke's reaction time was too slow and he struggled to keep track of all comrades and opponents. He dreaded to think what Naturo's scores would be when Shikamaru finished recalibrating the simulations to reflect Naruto's foxy senses.

Piloting proved humiliating. Naruto was a natural.

His eyes scanned the more detailed breakdown of his score. There had to be something. Finally, with deep reluctance, he allowed the pointer to hover over what Naruto called 'sex-stuff' but Iruka had titled 'Entertainment and companionship'. To his surprise, there was more in the category than fucking and sucking. There were actually three components to his paltry score: giving Jiraiya blowjobs, playing Go and conversation. He investigated the other possibilities and noted a few things he did for the Captain. He would ask her to make a report to Iruka.

He even briefly wondered about offering his services as a masseur to the rest of the crew, but only briefly.

Then he saw it. He quickly moved the pointer away. There had to be something better, but there wasn't. He couldn't even offer his arse, because noone would want it. He moved the pointer back. It was particularly valuable because it was categorised as a missing skill, something noone in the crew was currently offering. Even allowing for that, it was highly rated. In addition, gaining a threshold number of points in the 'Entertainment and companionship' category would earn him a balance bonus, something that Naruto had already gained.

Could he cope? Could he cope with the consequences of not coping? He deactivated the display and went to scrub something, anything.

That night he was on the verge of slipping into sleep when he remembered the conversation with his mother; how vehemently he had declared that he would never give up what she held so dear.

That was why he had kept going after she had died, even though it made him sad.

Sometimes there was a price to pay. Like when Kakashi used his implant.

Shikamaru had been monitoring Sasuke's movements every since he had started assisting Naruto. It helped him anticipate what Sasuke would do next, so that he was ready with their next move. Shikamaru actually admired Sasuke for lasting so long and for never complaining that the performance tracker was so blatantly weighted in Naruto's favour. Iruka had set it up that way so that the fox-boy could be compared to Sasuke at the start, never considering Naruto's potential or that the contest would last longer than a standard.

He estimated that Naruto would overhaul Sasuke in between five and eight days, depending on how many points Sasuke managed to glean. Amazed to see that Sasuke's latest points came from the dreaded 'sex-stuff' category, Shikamaru snapped Iruka's security like a dry twig and checked the details; so that was what Sasuke did when he was with the Captain.

But what was he doing in the first of the pressurised holds in the middle of the night? Shikamaru considered his options, then went there and set up a camera. He was not going to lose any sleep over it.

Next day he reviewed the tape. So Sasuke had one last move and, by the Lady, it was a good one. Shikamaru wondered why he had not used it before. He ran the tape again, zooming in on Sasuke's face. Were those tears?

After that, Shikamaru waited each evening to see if Sasuke would do it but every day the moment passed. It was driving Shikamaru wild. Had he decided to give Naruto his moment? Or was it that he did not want to show weakness in front of the crew? Was he really going to spend his life serving this infuriating man?

And it wasn't fair. Sasuke was still the better of the two.

So he did it. The next evening, when Iruka asked, as he always asked, whether anyone had any ideas for entertainment Shikamaru fetched the lute from where he had hidden and held it out towards Sasuke.

Sasuke started at the biwa and then at Shikamaru. An initial wave of anger broke into confusion. If he played, Naruto would not surpass him, not for a while, perhaps ever. Shikamaru was scowling at him. Sasuke saw his own hand reach out and curl about the neck. He found a seat of the correct height and settled. He checked the tuning, loosened up by playing a few scales and began.

Kakashi leaned back and shut his eye. For him it was the sound of the Uchiha household, a gift from the past.

Jiraiya was absolutely still. By the Lady the boy could play. It was more than technical excellence. He had his mother's gift of making the music speak.

Iruka leaned against Kakashi's shoulder, Genma and Ibiki settled into their bunks and Shikamaru sat cross-legged on the floor.

Naruto had begun edging away as soon as Shikamaru appeared with the lute. One of the problems with music was that it worked for human ears but not for fox ears. Then Sasuke started to play and he realised, to his amazement, that it was beautiful. He crept back and curled up next to Shikamaru.

Sasuke waited until the last note faded away before opening his eyes. Naruto bright blue eyes were looking up at him. "Is there more?" he asked.

"That was wonderful, Sasuke," Iruka said with a smile.

Genma sat up and plucked the metal stick from his mouth. "Can you explain to us, Brat, why we haven't been enjoying that since the day you arrived?"

Playing always left him so open. Sasuke replied without thought, "It hurts too much." He stood up. "Shikamaru, did you bring the case?"

"One more," Naruto begged. "Please." He put out his hand and touched the very edge of the lute with his fingers. "Lutes usually make me want to howl. This one sounds beautiful."

"Do you know 'Voyage Home'?" Ibiki asked.

Sasuke sat down and began playing the familiar tune. To his surprise Kakashi started the first verse on the second repeat of the first line. Sasuke adapted quickly. When the chorus came, Ibiki and Shikamaru joined in, followed by Jiraiya. Iruka and Kakashi then alternated verses, playing the parts of the two lovers, while the others sang the chorus. At the end, like in all good spacer ballads, the lovers were dead, leaving the chorus to finish up.

Shikamaru then went to fetch the case and Iruka to make hot drinks. Once the bika was safely in its case, Sasuke answered Iruka's call to pick up a drink from the galley. Kakashi was there and Iruka promptly left, closing the door behind him. The cup was plucked from his hands and placed on the table. He was pulled to his feet, wrapped in Kakashi's strong arms and, for once, Sasuke did not fight it.


	12. Friends

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_I hope that you are enjoying this story. Thank you to readers who have taken the time to write a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**12. Friends**

* * *

"We're going to Tarrasade?" Sasuke queried when Iruka announced the unexpected change in route.

"What's special about Tarrasade?" Naruto asked, wondering while Sasuke did not want to go there.

"It's the most important trading centre in the Inner Fringe." Iruka told him.

"It Tarrasade." Genma grabbed Shikamaru and began waltzing about the crew room. "The jewel of the Fringe, the destination of dreams." He smiled at Naruto. "You are in for a treat, Foxy. Your first time in Tarrasade is special." He looked at Iruka. "Tell me we are going to rent a unit and have some time off the ship. Tell me we are going to be able to go to some clubs and dance."

Iruka smiled. "That is the plan."

Ibiki looked to Kakashi. "And the risk of challenge?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Tarrasade is as civilised as a space station gets and we have to accept that Sasuke looks the way he does. It certainly isn't getting better as he gets older."

Naruto enjoyed watching Sasuke trying to cover his embarrassment with a scowl.

Tarrasade was wonderful, but a little overwhelming for someone with foxy senses. Naruto was glad that the unit was so spacious and peaceful.

"When did we decide to spend this much on accommodation?" Genma asked. "I thought we had a limit."

"I won three days rent of it in a bet," Tsunade told them. She stalked into the inner of the two central areas and opened a door. "This is mine. Iruka will decide where you all are sleeping."

Naruto and Sasuke ended up on cots in the room Iruka and Kakashi were sharing. Kakashi pointed to one of the cots. "That's yours, Sasuke. You will always sleep there. Naruto, I will need to know where you are sleeping on a night-by-night basis."

"What was that about?" Naruto asked as he and Sasuke unpacked their things into the smaller of the two closets.

"Raids." Sasuke explained. "When another crew tries to steal the cat and holds it for ransom. It's not quite like a challenge, more like a game."

Naruto thought Sasuke had paled too much for it to be only a game. "And?" he asked.

"The raiding crew get to use the cat while they have him." Sasuke admitted.

Naruto resolved to sleep in his cot. No strange crew was going to 'use' Sasuke. "As it they could get past Kakashi."

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered, but he relaxed and a touch of colour returned to his skin.

"Teme." Naruto replied.

Shopping was novel. Naruto had yet to decide if it were fun. Genma loved it, Shikamaru was interested and even Ibiki seemed to enjoy it. Iruka was in his element, focused and ruthless as he bartered. Jiraiya and Tsunade had decided to stay in the unit. Sasuke looked bored. Kakashi seemed disinterested and relaxed, but Naturo knew better. It was amazing that he could be so alert and lethal on the inside while appearing so harmless.

The clothes store was best. The idea was that everyone would buy at least one new garment to wear when they went clubbing. Iruka also wanted some plainer clothes for Naruto, who had grown out of everything he had been wearing. Naruto had never had new clothes bought for him. Iruka was trying to explain what made an outfit and why wearing many different shades of orange together did not work.

Genma had taken responsibility for choosing Sasuke's party clothes because Sasuke refused to show interest. Shikamaru had picked out a jacket that fit him perfectly and was worrying about the price.

Naruto had fallen in love with an orange shirt. Iruka found black trousers and a black jacket for him to wear with it. Once everything was on the counter Iruka started to negotiate. Kakashi and Ibiki conversed in low voices, the outcome of which was that Ibiki and Genma would continue shopping while the others went to the cobbler's.

The cobbler's was interesting. Naruto only knew about two types of boots. There were the ones you bought made, which didn't fit, and the ones someone made by hand, which fitted perfectly but cost too much. In Tarrasade you could buy a third type of boot, which was made by a machine while you waited. Iruka bought him and Sasuke two pairs each, even though Naruto would probably grow out of them within a few divisions. Iruka often complained that growth spurts weren't meant to be continuous.

By the time they arrived back at the unit Genma and Ibiki had returned with boxes of cooked food from the market and a plan for the evening. The Captain and Jiraiya were out, but Kakashi did not seem worried so Naruto guessed they were fine. The plan was to eat, clean up, dress and go dancing.

Iruka and Kakashi were having a quick fuck, so Naruto and Sasuke got ready in the main room. Genma insisted on painting their faces: he had already done his own and Shikamaru's. Naruto's face in the mirror was even foxier than usual, which was fun but he was less sure about what Genma had done to Sasuke. His hair was different. His face was beautiful. His eyes were glorious. He was wearing a white silk shirt. The shirt was loose and drew the eye to his neck and his wrists. Naruto could see one collarbone. Naruto's throat closed and he was glad he had his jacket to camouflage his erection.

Then Kakashi was there. He asked Genma if he had lost his mind and yanked Sasuke into the bedroom. The Sasuke who emerged was quirky rather than beautiful. His face was painted white, with blue eyes and lips. There were blue streaks in his hair. He was dressed in black with enough accessories to detract from his shape. Genma shrugged and smiled, not at Sasuke but at Naruto. Naruto felt himself blushing.

At the club Naruto discovered that he loved dancing and Sasuke discovered that he loved watching Naruto dance.

They tumbled through the door of the unit in the early hours to find Tsunade and Jiraiya having a drinking contest that the Captain was close to winning. They cheered as Jiraiya passed out. Tsunade stood and bowed, then walked carefully toward her room. At the door she steadied herself on the doorframe and turned.

"A visitor is coming this afternoon. Sasuke, I need to you to get me up by noon. Iruka, my apologies, but I need you, Jiraiya, Shikamaru, Genma and Ibiki to be elsewhere."

"Not Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade shut her eyes for a moment. "No, Naruto stays. He wants to meet Naruto."

Naturo saw their reaction; the way Iruka bit his lip and how Sasuke was suddenly small. Kakashi was too still. They left Genma, Ibiki and Shikamaru drinking in the main room. Later, from his cot, Naruto thought he heard Iruka weeping. His fox eyes could see Sasuke awake, looking at him.

"Sasuke?" he whispered.

"Not now, Naruto." Sasuke answered.

Sasuke waited for Naruto to sleep, then slid from his cot and crept into the bathroom. He had suspected the worst when Iruka had told them of the sudden change in itinerary but neither the Captain or Kakashi had said anything and Sasuke had allowed himself, for today, to forget.

He found himself leaning his cheek against the cool surface of a tiled wall. He felt sick. In less than a day Naruto would be dead. There was a small chance Kakashi would live, but Sasuke would not see him for a long time, perhaps never.

He did not know if he could bear to lose them.

Logic told him to give up on saving Naruto and concentrate on increasing Kakashi's chances of survival. In Hiruzen-sama's eyes, Kakashi had value while Naruto had none.

He could not bear to lose Naruto.

The admission helped. He began to think. He needed to increase Naruto's value in Hiruzen-sama's eyes. He needed to make Naruto as valuable as Kakashi: then they both would have a chance. Kakashi's eye made him rare, but there were others with implants. One thing made him close to unique. The few others, save possibly one, had died on that day.

Kakashi would have it with him. It would be in his lockbox.

Sasuke needed a plan.


	13. The plaque

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Welcome to all readers. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to those readers who have taken the time to write a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**13. The plaque**

* * *

Sasuke woke Naruto while everyone else was still asleep. He pulled him into the bathroom, locked the door, then sat on the floor. Naruto sat opposite him and waited as Sasuke took a few, deep breaths.

"Naruto, this man who is coming, he was responsible for me as I grew up. He still sees me as his responsibility, even though I am old enough to space. He is a very powerful man. Someone, I don't know who, has told him about you. If he decides that you are a danger to me it could be bad."

"In what way bad?" Naruto asked.

"Bad in that you and Kakashi could end up dead."

Naruto could understand them killing him, they saw him as a danger to Sasuke, but Kakashi? "Is Kakashi your bodyguard?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head slightly. "Much more than that. This man, my guardian, he has delegated his responsibility for me to Kakashi while I am spacing. If there has been a mistake he will hold Kakashi responsible. Naruto, there is nothing you can do other than to answer him truthfully if he asks you any questions. And do not, under any circumstance, call me teme in his hearing. However, there is something that I can do."

He took something out of his pocket and leaned forward. "I need to take off your collar."

Naruto guessed that he had got the key from Shikamaru, although he was surprised that Shikamaru had it with him. "How will that help? I am more dangerous without it than with it."

"It is only for a few minutes, dobe."

Naruto passed the test, he did not respond by saying 'teme', and Sasuke managed a very small smile. He watched Sasuke slide a curved plate onto the collar.

"I need you to wear this. I realise that it may make the collar uncomfortable but it is only for today." He placed the collar back around Naruto's neck and locked it.

Naruto stood and went to look in the mirror. The plate was blue and there was a symbol on it that was round, red at the top, white at the bottom with a line coming down from the white part. As well as the symbol there were some squiggles. He was about to ask what it meant when he realised that Sasuke was leaning over the other sink, gagging. Sasuke waved him away, filled a glass and drained it in five large gulps.

"Naruto, do me a favour and stop Kakashi seeing that for a long as possible." Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded.

Naruto went back to bed and pretended to sleep. It worked. Late morning, Iruka came and sat beside his cot for a while, then stroked his hair and kissed him on the cheek. Naruto felt bad about not saying goodbye but he had promised Sasuke.

Finally, when Sasuke had gone to wake the Captain, Kakashi ordered him up. He tried wasted some time in the bathroom and then dressing but Kakashi kept telling him to hurry up. Naruto took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom where Kakashi was waiting.

Kakashi's eyes widened. His fingers dipped into the compartment in his wrist strap and Naruto realised that Sasuke must have stolen the key from Kakashi, which was mind-boggling. Kakashi was out of the bedroom, across the main room and into the Captain's bedroom. Naruto followed as far as the shared room. Ignoring Tsunade's angry shouts, Kakashi dragged Sasuke out of her room by his hair. Naruto snarled but shrank back as Kakashi gave him a look that sent him cowering away like a whipped puppy.

"Where's the key?" he demanded.

Sasuke's eyes flashed with defiance. "I swallowed it early this morning."

Kakashi flung him to one side. His gaze went to the clock and he swore. He then activated his communicator and spoke the emergency crew contact code.

"Iruka? I need Ibiki and Shikamaru to get back to the ship, get the key to Naruto's collar and to bring it here. As quickly as you can. You understand?" He glanced back at the time. "By the Lady, be enough," he muttered.

"What's in all space is wrong with you, Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded, coming out of her room in a robe.

Kakashi stabbed his finger in Naruto's direction. "Look at his collar."

Tsunade looked, saw, swore and then frowned. "Is it so bad if he wears it to this meeting? We can take it off him before the others see it. Sasuke is just trying to protect him."

Naruto saw Kakashi reaching deep inside. He was forcing himself to be calm; refusing to lose control. When he spoke it sounded deceptively normal.

"I think it is a risk, Captain. I believe that the symbols may have more meaning than we know. If we can get a key here in time, we should take the plaque off the collar."

"If the key arrives in time we will utilise it," The Captain decided. "In the meantime, we should prepare ourselves and this room for our visitor. Kakashi, you are not to punish Sasuke until after the meeting."

Kakashi waited until Tsunade had shut the door behind her. He then turned to Sasuke. "You know what you have done," he said before walking into the bedroom and slamming the door.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, whose defiance had faded and whose face was flushed with what Naruto suspected was shame.

"What have you done, Sasuke?" he asked, "And why doesn't the Captain understand?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It's complicated, Naruto. At this time, I am doing what I believe is best in order to save your life and Kakashi's life. That meant hurting Kakashi very badly. That plaque is his most precious possession. And by putting that plaque on you I have committed you to a future you may not have chosen, but that is better than you having no future at all. As for the Captain, she does not know the meaning of the plaque or that it is Kakashi's."

Naruto thought carefully. "Sasuke, your guardian's going to expect me to know what wearing the plaque means."

"Not necessarily."

"Sasuke! It needs to be real, not a trick."

"It means you will give your life for me and that I will look after you in every way that I can."

Naruto relaxed. He smiled. "That's fine. You get the place ready for the visitor and I will speak to Kakashi."

"You will?"

"I will."

Kakashi yelled at him to get out but Naruto stood his ground and spoke.

"I wish to say something. I want to survive, I want you to survive and Sasuke wants both of us to survive. If this plaque means what he says then I am fine about wearing it. Knowing it is yours makes me proud. He's only done this because he is absolutely certain this guardian of his will kill me otherwise and you agree with him, Kakashi-sensei. I saw it in your reaction last night. I felt it in Iruka's kiss this morning."

"What did he say it meant?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto told him.

"Close enough." Kakashi agreed. He sighed. "They may ask you to demonstrate your fighting skills. If they do, do your best but do not expect to win. They will not expect you to win, you are too young."

Naruto nodded. "And you won't take the plaque off me if the key arrives?"

"It won't arrive, Naruto. Sasuke did not steal the key and the plaque. It wouldn't have been possible. I did not see it before because I was too angry. Iruka did it and Iruka will make sure that the key does not arrive until after the meeting."

He walked to the door and politely asked Sasuke to join them. Sasuke walked in slowly, warily. Then, to Naruto's astonishment, Kakashi knelt at Sasuke's feet and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"I apologise, Sasuke-sama, for failing you. You went to another because you could not trust me."

Sasuke was absolutely still for a few moments before replying. "Please do not do that Kakashi-sensei. It is not necessary."

Kakashi did not move.

"I forgive you, Kakashi." Sasuke said finally and Kakashi stood.

Naruto tried to be very still when the man came. He was old. Three of his men came as far as the unit but two stayed outside and only one accompanied him into the room. The bodyguard had an eye patch. Naruto felt the one eye boring into his throat. There was a formal exchange of greetings between the old man and Tsunade, who then offered to leave and had her offer accepted. She did not look at Naruto as she left.

The conversation between the old man and Sasuke was very formal and, to Naruto's ears, very empty. Finally they got to the point.

"I assume that the hybrid does not usually wear that announcement on his neck, Sasuke-kun."

"His name is Naruto. I asked him to wear it today, senpai."

"This is a matter about which I know too little," the old man confessed. He turned to his bodyguard. "Tenzo-san?"

"Such a precious gift does not belong around the neck of an abomination, senpai," Tenzo said immediately, his eye fixed on Kakashi.

"And what do you say to that, Sasuke-kun?" the man asked.

"I see no abomination, senpai. I see Naruto." Sasuke answered.

"The hybrid cannot be worthy of such a gift." Tenzo insisted.

"Yet you do not know him, Tenzo-san," the man observed. "He who knows him has chosen to give it. Kakashi-san, is the boy worthy of this gift?"

Kakashi did not hesitate. "Yes, senpai."

"Then I challenge him." Tenzo announced.

"No!" Sasuke ordered.

"Tenzo is not yours to command, Sasuke-kun. Tenzo-san, the boy does not even have his knife."

"The gift supersedes a knife," Tenzo insisted. "Sasuke-san knows this. Kakashi knows this."

"Then this does seem one way to ensure a resolution. There are consequences to any action, Sasuke-kun."

"Hiruzen-sama," Kakashi asked, "as Naruto does not have a knife, may I request that the fight be hand-to-hand?"

"I do not need weapons to defeat someone so unworthy." Tenzo agreed.

"Very well, prepare to begin. Sasuke-kun, you will stand beside me."

Kakashi walked swiftly to Naruto. Naruto did not know how he felt. So much of his life had been lived on the edge of death, it was like becoming reacquainted with an old friend.

"Naruto, this is no test of your skills." Kakashi was saying. "Tenzo is… …uncompromising. If you lose this you will die, I will die and Sasuke will be taken from the Silver Leaf. It is likely that my place with Sasuke will be taken by Tenzo."

Every instinct told Naruto that would be bad. Kakashi was helping him remove his jacket and his shirt.

"Tenzo has an implant like mine. He is activating it now. He is better adapted than I, so do not try to last until any side effects kick in, it will be too late."

Kakashi removed Naruto's activator for his collar, which Naruto wore on a chain about his neck.

"You may need to flip." Kakashi whispered. "Do not fight it. Sasuke and I both have activators. We will protect each other and Sasuke's guardian.

"Is he as good a fighter as you?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi gave a ghost of a smile. "No, he is not. And, believe me, you will have surprise on your side."

"Will it cause a problem if I kill him?" Naruto heard himself ask.

Kakashi stared at him for a split second. "No." he answered.

So Naruto killed him, without hesitation and without any need to flip.

Kakashi moved first. He picked up the activator that Tenzo had tried to use when he had realised he was going to lose. As if Shikamaru would allow Naruto to wear a collar that a stranger could activate. He handed it to Sasuke, who handed it to his guardian. The old man smiled at him.

"A most satisfactory resolution. Sasuke-san, it is good to see you making such excellent progress. Kakashi-san, I commend you. Naruto-san, it has been... …educational to meet you. It is good to know that Sasuke has you protecting him. Until we meet again, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke bowed. "Senpai."

The old man left. Then two men came in and removed the body. Naruto looked at the large, spreading stain on the carpet and then at the blood splatter on the walls, ceiling and furnishings. He had not known that ripping out someone's throat would be so messy.

Kakashi smiled at them. "Naruto, go and clean up. Try not to get any blood anywhere else. Make sure noone else sees that plaque. Sasuke, sort this place out before Iruka gets here."

Sasuke scanned the room. "How, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi shrugged. "There are consequences to any action, Sasuke-kun."


	14. Changes

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_I hope that you enjoy this installment. Thank you to the readers who have taken the time to write a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**14. Changes**

* * *

Iruka did not blame Genma; coming back to the unit and finding it covered in blood was nasty. Naruto apologising did not help; it only confirmed that their cute fox-boy was the killer. Iruka tried to persuade him but Genma was adamant; if you wanted to change crews, Tarrasade was the best place to do it. Iruka reluctantly moved the process forward, informing the Captain. Genma was gone by nightfall.

The Captain postponed their jumpslot, they moved units and the funds for Genma's buy-out were realised and transferred. All three tasks were accomplished with ease within the same day despite each usually being difficult, costly and time-consuming.

Iruka found himself looking at Sasuke and wondering when the Silver Leaf had changed from an ordinary spacer crew into a tool for the Uchiha.

He needed time alone with Naruto. A word here, a task there and a touch of sleepdrug in Sasuke's evening drink meant that he and Naruto were alone in the kitchen next morning. He finished plating up Naruto's breakfast and placed it before him. Naruto was picking at it rather that gobbling, which was a bad sign. Iruka sat down beside him and waited.

Jiraiya emerged from Tsuande's bedroom dressed in one of her robes. He sauntered into the kitchen, loaded a tray with provisions, winked at Naruto and returned from whence he came. Naruto stared until Jiraiya had closed the bedroom door with his foot, then turned questioning eyes to Iruka.

"They can't be together on the ship," Iruka reminded him, "on the ship the Captain has to stand apart. That is Tradition."

"They are lovers?" Naruto queried, obviously struggling with the concept.

"Something like that," Iruka confirmed. He had never been quite sure what.

"I feel bad about Genma," Naruto admitted suddenly.

Iruka rubbed the fox-boy's back. "It's been coming for a long time, Naruto. You joining the crew probably delayed it. You know how he and I argue. And Genma likes being docked, the shopping and the clubbing. We don't do much of that since Sasuke joined us."

"The dancing was fun," Naruto told him. "I like my orange shirt." He turned tear-filled blue eyes towards Iruka. "I am sorry I made such a mess. I didn't think…"

Iruka gathered him into his arms and held him. "You did brilliantly, Naruto. You did what you had to do and you did it perfectly."

"He had an implant. Kakashi thought I would have to flip to beat him. I decided to kill him before we started fighting. Iruka, what am I?"

Iruka pushed him just far enough away that they could make eye contact. "You are magnificent, Naruto, and we love you just the way you are."

Naruto sniffed. "Sasuke doesn't love me," he complained.

That was interesting. "He does, Naruto, in his way. Look what he was willing to do to save you. You know how he feels about Kakashi."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You stole from Kakashi, Iruka-sensei. You stole. From Kakashi!"

Iruka could not stop himself flushing. "And I am ashamed of myself for doing so, Naruto. It seemed the only way. I told myself that Kakashi would forgive me if it worked and, if it didn't, my life was ruined so it would not matter."

"'Cos Kakashi would be dead."

Iruka flinched. "Or Sasuke would have been taken away from him, which would be worse," he admitted, "because then he would have failed." He saw Naruto's questioning look and shook his head. "I don't know much more than you do, Naruto, possibly less. They will tell us when it is time."

Naruto seemed to accept that. He turned away from Iruka and started to eat.

Sasuke woke to more nothing. It has started when he watched Naruto kill Tenzo. Before that he had felt good. A fierce burn of determination had replaced the stone of dread in his belly. He had reached out to Iruka, defied Kakashi, stood firm in the face of Tenzo's derision and won Naruto his chance of survival.

Then he had watched Naruto and Tenzo fight: the superhumanly fast movements; the jetting blood; Naruto, drenched in gore, standing over the body. Since then he had felt nothing. He had cleaned, washed, ate, packed, carried, walked and slept but he had felt nothing. Today was worse. Today he wanted to shut his eyes and for the world of nothingness to go away.

Kakashi had slept late and indulged himself by spending time in the shower. He still had Sasuke, Naruto was alive and, best of all, Sasuke had shown courage, initiative and decisiveness in his bid to save his friend. He dried himself, shaved, picked out some clothes that Iruka liked and dressed.

It was only then that he realised that Sasuke was still in his cot. He smiled, thinking that Iruka must have been a bit heavy-handed with the sleepdrug. Even so, it was time the boy was up.

Iruka could tell from Kakashi's posture, even before he saw his face, that something was terribly wrong. He did not need to hear him croak Sasuke's name.

He ran into the bedroom. One look was enough. Sasuke was so pale he was almost grey. Instead of being relaxed he was rigid. His temperature was far too low. Iruka guessed that he was in some kind of shock. Possibly, knowing Sasuke's incapacity for coping with his emotions, the youngster had gone into a withdrawal or fugue.

Iruka knew only a little about such things but he remembered someone telling somebody that being warmed by skin to skin contact with another person was a good treatment for shock. Of the eight people available, who was the best choice? He needed to act fast, before the boy was so far gone that they could not reach him. His eyes fell on Naruto, who had followed him from the kitchen.

"Strip and get into our bed, Naruto," he ordered.

Naruto stared at him.

"Do it!" Iruka shouted. He picked up Sasuke and headed towards the bed. Naruto, catching on, shed his clothes and held back the covers. "You hold him," Iruka told him. "You hold him close and you warm him with your heat. You will him to come back to you."

Naruto nodded. He spooned Sasuke to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Iruka found pillows to pack along the exposed parts of Sasuke's body, then covered them both with the covers. He stroked Naruto's hair and kissed him and then Sasuke on the temple. "I'll be back soon," he promised.

He then dragged Kakashi out of the bedroom, through the main room and into the kitchen. He slammed the door shut behind them. Kakashi was finally going to explain to him why Sasuke was incapable of connecting with his emotions. Iruka was fed up with all the secrets.

"This stops now," he yelled. "We stop acting as if being an emotional cripple is normal. I don't care about spacer privacy or secrets or vows or oaths, you tell me enough that we can work out how to help him. I don't care who he is going to be when he grows up, he is part of my family now and I will not stand by seeing him suffer every time he tries to connect with his emotions. Are you listening to me, Kakashi?"

"Naruto?" Kakashi queried.

"Of course Naruto. Who else? You? You're his father figure, Kakashi. How much more screwed up do you want him to be?"

"Father figure?"

Iruka sank down onto a chair. "Kakashi, you are an idiot. I am going to check on Naruto and Sasuke. Then I am coming back and you are going to talk."

Kakashi wished that Iruka would let him have another slug of alcohol. He felt terrible. The worst part had been when Iruka had asked, "And did Sasuke know this Tenzo?" and Kakashi had realised that Tenzo must have been part of Sasuke's life between the massacre and him leaving Hiruzen-sama's household. Seeing Tenzo lying dead covered in blood would have reminded Sasuke of being with his mother's dead body.

Iruka had run out of insults to yell and had started hitting him. He looked warily at his lover. Iruka scowled at him. "I am going to speak to Tsuande," he said before filling up Kakashi's empty shot glass. He took the bottle with him.

Iruka knocked politely on the Captain's bedroom door until Jiraiya opened it. "You and Kakashi having a row?" he smirked.

"Shut up, Jiraiya," Iruka instructed. "I need to speak with the Captain. Now."

Tsuande came out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair. Iruka turned to Jiraiya. "Get out. Do something useful like stopping Kakashi finding more alcohol. I need him sober enough to function."

Jiraiya looked to the Captain, who nodded. He left, shutting the door behind him. Iruka turned back to Tsunade.

"We may need to stay here longer. Please arrange it. And don't bother with the charade about difficult that is because we both know it isn't. Sasuke may need to visit the Uchiha compound, which is why we are staying here until we decide if it is a good or a bad idea."

He glared at her, daring her to argue. Instead she just nodded.

Jiraiya was having an argument with Kakashi in the kitchen; Iruka really did not care about what, so he checked again on Naruto and Sasuke. They were sleeping and Sasuke's colour and muscle tension looked normal. That was a relief. He sat down on one of the couches in the main room and, after a few minutes, a cup of tea materialised in front of him. He reached for it gratefully, looking up to see Shikamaru.

"Ibiki is hiding in our bedroom to keep up the pretence that he doesn't know," the young man told him.

Iruka gestured toward the couch and Shikamaru sat. "You're not."

"Kakashi already knows I know. I know my opinion doesn't matter, but I think you are doing the right thing. Sasuke will be happier, he'll be less likely to hurt Naruto and he'll make a better leader if we ever get that far."

Iruka often found himself repeating Shikamaru's words to himself over the next eight days: make Sasuke happier, less likely to hurt Naruto and a better leader. It helped.

He started with Naruto. He assured him that Sasuke was sleeping normally, drew him from the bed and led him into the kitchen.

"Sasuke is going to be going through a lot in the next few days," he told him. "He'll need a friend, a friend who doesn't ask any questions and who can hold him, like you did this morning, without any sex-stuff. Can you do that?"

Naruto considered. "I usually get hard if he gets close," he confessed. "It's his smell. I didn't this morning because it scared me seeing him like that."

"It's important, Naruto. You know how Sasuke feels about fucking."

"I can do it," Naruto decided. "I'll fuck lots with Shikamaru and Ibiki to make me less horny."

"Good plan," Iruka confirmed, "but do it in their bedroom where Sasuke won't hear you. And Naruto, Sasuke must come to you. You are not to go to him. We don't want a repeat of what happened that time."

Naruto's fingertips brushed his collar. "I understand Iruka-sensei."

Then, with limited help from Kakashi, Iruka planned alternatives to offer Sasuke. He wrote each on a card in his little practiced but carefully correct handwriting. At least Sasuke could read.

The first one Sasuke chose was 'Tell Iruka something about my mother'. He told Iruka three things, that his mother was beautiful, that she made tea for his father and that she played the biwa.

It was slow. Iruka refused to push hard. Sasuke slept a lot and ate almost nothing.

Naruto, Ibiki and Shikamaru worked out a system. One of them would keep an eye on Sasuke at all times. If he were wandering about looking uncertain Naruto would be alerted, even if it meant interrupting the other two fucking. Naruto would sit on one of the couches and, after a while, Sasuke would sit next to him. He usually fell asleep against Naruto's shoulder. Naruto would then carry him to bed.

Kakashi watched. He tried not to drink alcohol.

It was the eighth day. Sasuke was asleep against Naruto's chest. Iruka and Kakashi were on the other couch, watching. Naruto gathered Sasuke into his arms and stood up. Each day Sasuke was paler. He was visibly thinner. He smelt odd. Naruto looked to Iruka.

"This must finish soon," he warned.

Next day Sasuke chose 'Ask someone to get something from home' and then spent over a hundred minutes at the kitchen table composing and writing a short list of what he wanted from the Uchiha compound. He then sat with his eyes riveted on the remaining cards.

Iruka made the decision. He swept the cards into a pile and tossed them into the disposal.

The earliest lift slot available was three days later. They relaxed, shopped and went clubbing.

There was a Meeting where they decided not to look for a buy-in to replace Genma and worked out how to redistribute duties to cover. That involved Sasuke and Naruto, but mostly Sasuke, being allocated duties usually reserved for crew.

The day before lift they moved back to the ship to accept delivery of supplies and cargo, including a sealed chest bearing the Uchiha crest.


	15. Layers

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thanks to those readers who have taken the time to leave a review. I read every one. They encourage me to keep writing._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable. I understand if this makes this story unacceptable to you.

* * *

******Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by ********oo*****oo**

* * *

**15. Layers**

* * *

Until the fox-boy had arrived, Jiraiya had found Sasuke Uchiha unrelentingly disappointing. He was superbly trained but cold as ice and while one could see him becoming an effective leader, it was hard to imagine him ever inspiring devotion.

But the fox-boy changed people. Shikamaru was less lazy, Ibiki cared and the change in Iruka was astounding. Kakashi's deep wounds had started to heal. Even Sasuke was defrosting, but the rate of it was too slow for Jiraiya's taste.

The trouble with Iruka was that he was too kind. Sometimes more than a gentle push was required.

"Make tea for me," he instructed. "Use the equipment in the wooden box." He watched Sasuke's face as lifted the lid, the uncertainty in his obsidian eyes. "You do know how?" Jiraiya taunted and the youngster nodded. He knelt, sat back on his heels and then bowed forward from the waist. "I apologise, Jiraiya-san, that the venue is imperfect."

Jiraiya did not expect the sudden surge of arousal. He moved into position and bowed in acknowledgement. He watched the beautiful youngster, no longer a boy but still not a man, weave his way through the elegant simplicity of the ceremony. Memories of being an honoured guest surfaced, flowed and drifted away. Mikoto had made tea for him. Fugaku had invited him to join them. Sasuke had his mother's eyes. By the time the boy had repacked the box Jiraiya had made his decision and spoke. "Next time, you will make tea and then I will fuck you. You will accept it. You will not be ice as you were with Genma and Ibiki. You will be warm. I have drugs to make you want it. You will remember every moment, every caress. This will happen, Sasuke, next time you come to me."

Naruto was woken by the noises coming from Sasuke's bunk: he was whimpering in his sleep again. More nightmares, it was the third night in a row. Naruto wondered if anyone else had noticed: the other bunks were well away; Sasuke never called out; noone else's hearing was half as acute. The sounds changed, suggesting Sasuke had woken. They went on and on, tearing at Naruto's heart.

He ran a fingertip along his new collar. Shikamaru had finally achieved what they had begun to think was impossible. They had tested it: Ibiki had blindsided Naruto while he was listening to Sasuke play. It had worked perfectly. He could go to Sasuke. Even if Sasuke attacked him, the worse that would happen would be that Naruto fell unconscious.

He swung down effortlessly and landed in a crouch at the bottom outside edge of Sasuke's bunk. Sasuke always slept close to the wall. He was shaking. Naruto knew he was crying. Even in Tarrasade, Naruto had never seen Sasuke cry. He slid up the bunk and tentatively touched his back.

Sasuke turned into him, clung to him, buried his face in Naruto's chest and wept. Naruto wrapped his arms about him. It felt right; as if all the growing he had done over the last two standards had been for this, so that he could hold Sasuke properly and comfort him. Gradually Sasuke stopped crying, relaxed and fell asleep. Naruto stayed awake. Sasuke was asleep on his chest and the sight was so amazingly beautiful. It was one of the advantages of being able to see in the dark.

It was morning but early when Sasuke's eyes fluttered open. Sasuke almost smiled. Naruto wanted to kiss him but knew better. "Do you want me to go back to my bunk?" he offered. "Before anyone notices?"

Sasuke considered, then nodded. "Thanks, Naruto," he whispered so quietly that Naruto needed his fox-ears to hear it.

It was weird. The lack of sleep should have made him sluggish but Naruto felt invigorated. That afternoon Sasuke turned up at his training session to watch and Naruto found himself willing and able to do moves he had been struggling with for divisions. He even managed to run up the wall and back flip onto his feet, something Kakashi had told him repeatedly that he should be able to do.

Kakashi acted as if Sasuke was not there and that Naruto's confidence levels had not suddenly soared, just as he had ignored Naruto being in Sasuke's bunk and the nightmares. He made an excuse and left the gym early.

Naruto draped a towel around his neck to absorb the sweat and went over to where Sasuke was sitting cross-legged on top of a packing case. He found himself standing closer than usual and hoped it was not too obvious.

"I want to put our bunks together." Sasuke said suddenly, looking at some point above Naruto's head.

Naruto heart was pounding. He willed his erection soft and was only partially successful. "Sasuke, I don't think I can sleep with someone…" especially you "…and not want to do it with them."

Smouldering dark eyes lowered and made contact. "I know." Sasuke told him.

When Naruto entered the crew room the others were watching Sasuke reorganise the two bunks into a double. Naruto was impressed that Sasuke had chosen to do it just before the evening meal when everyone would be there. He was actually standing on the bunk arranging drapes; openly declaring that they were going to require privacy. Shikamaru squeezed Naruto's upper arm. "Forget it being my night. You need to take advantage before he recovers and goes back to being Sasuke."

Naruto smiled but Shikamaru had a point. It was rather sudden. There again, Sasuke had cried into his chest. For spacers, that was much more intimate than fucking.

Or that was what he thought until they were together, naked, in the small private world Sasuke had created for them. Naruto was acutely aware that Sasuke had never done sex-stuff with anyone other than for duty and, worse, that he had hated every moment. Naruto intended to go slowly. If they spent a division just kissing he would cope, somehow. Sasuke, however, appeared to think differently. He knelt, his skin luminous, his eyes pools of darkness and whispered, "I need you, Naruto."

Desire exploded at the core of Naruto's being and coursed through his body. He threw back his head and howled.

Shikamaru prayed to a god he did not believe in that the new collar could discriminate between desire and rage.

Iruka clung to Kakashi's arm, pleading with him to listen, begging him to think, reminding him that this was what they wanted.

Sasuke was motionless. He could control the urge to flee, which was good. Naruto did not fall unconscious, which was better. Naruto dropped onto all fours and flowed towards him. Silky fur brushed his knee, followed by stiff whiskers and then the tip of a very human tongue. They moved up his thigh, over his hip, teasing the sensitive hollow between his hipbone and his ribs before accelerating towards his nipple. Lips fastened and his nipple tightened: Sasuke's breath hitched at the radiating jolt of pleasure. There was a small growl as Naruto began worrying the nub with his incisors. Sasuke flinched and Naruto responded with a soothing lick before moving on to the dip above Sasuke's collarbone, along the tendon of his neck into the hollow below the angle of his jawbone. There he placed a tiny, sharp nip and then claimed Sasuke's mouth as he gasped.

That first kiss was gentle, almost reverent. Sasuke wanted more. He leaned in, slipping the tip of his tongue between Naruto's lips and sweeping it across his teeth. Naruto pulled away, lifting him from his knees and laying him on his back in an unconscious show of strength that left Sasuke quivering. Naruto was beside him, against him, holding him. Their mouths met and Naruto waited for Sasuke to resume their kiss. Sasuke's tongue explored Naruto's mouth, the smooth surfaces and sharp edges of his teeth, his long, pointed canines. Then Naruto responded, pinning Sasuke down, his tongue plundering Sasuke's mouth, heralding what would follow, stirring into existence a vortex of lust, anticipation and craving that Sasuke had never known or imagined.

******oo*****oo**

When morning came Sasuke was curled in the cocoon of Naruto's limbs, still held by the knot of his foxy prick, safe.

Jiraiya smiled.

Sometimes a harder push was required.


	16. Aftermath

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you if you have left a review. It is very much appreciated._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**16. Aftermath**

* * *

Sasuke woke first. There were a few moments of bliss before his brain started working and the enormity of what he had done started to sink in.

Yesterday he had told himself that it was simple: that he wanted a good experience with a friend to sustain him while being fucked by an ancient pervert; that sleeping with Naruto would keep the nightmares at bay; that their lives were already so entwined that not fucking was ridiculous. Spacers fucked.

What he had told himself was going to happen was like sunshine; fun and warm, much like Naruto himself.

And what actually had happened was like a supernova. Which, thinking about what had happened to Tenzo, was also like Naruto.

He tried moving away. At least Naruto's foxy prick had finally let him go. He slid out from Naruto's embrace and sat a little way away. Naruto was sound asleep. Every so often a whisker twitched. Sasuke hesitantly stroked his fur. It was beautiful, so bright and soft.

He needed the head. Time to face the smiles and smirks of his crewmates. He pulled on his shorts and dropped lightly to the floor. The crew room appeared empty and Sasuke realised that it was late. There was a note pinned to the bottom edge of the drapes surrounding their bunk. It was from Iruka and gave them both the day for themselves, which was a relief.

Sasuke planned to visit the head and then return to Naruto. That was, he knew, the right thing to do. It was unfair to allow Naruto to wake alone because Naruto would think his uninhibited foxiness had scared Sasuke away. It was worrying, therefore, to find that he could not do it. Instead he dressed and walked into the galley.

Jiraiya was there. It was the last person Sasuke wanted to see. He was about to turn away when Jiraiya acknowledged him, "Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke froze at the unfamiliar and respectful address, wondering if it were some perverted game. "Jiraiya-san," he replied cautiously.

"Please sit down, Sasuke-sama."

There it was again. Sasuke almost told him that Iruka had given him the day off, so he did not have to follow orders, but his politeness won and he sat.

"I apologise for what I said to you, Sasuke-san," Jiraiya told him. "There will be no 'next time'. I apologise for asking you to make tea, which I knew would remind you of your mother."

Sasuke was having trouble processing what was being said even before the word 'mother'. "You knew my mother?" he whispered.

"For those in service with the Uchiha, there was no greater honour than being invited to be present when your mother made tea for your father."

Sasuke remembered his mother making tea for his father. Occasionally one or two guests would be present. Once, for his seventh birthday, he and Itachi had been the guests. His mother, his father, Itachi: as always thoughts of them shifted until they were memories of blood, screaming, violence and his mother's dead face. He was brought out of it by Jiraiya pressing a pain point in his left wrist, an Uchiha technique Sasuke had been familiar with as a child. He carefully removed his hand from Jiraiya's gasp. "Why? Why threaten me?" Sasuke asked.

"Your relationship with the fox-boy is most productive when you treat each other as equals," Jiraiya told him.

"His name is Naruto," Sasuke snapped. He was startled by his anger. Everyone called Naruto fox-boy, so that as not the cause. It was Jiraiya's suggestion that he and Naruto were equals and, at the moment, he felt anything but equal to Naruto; he had submitted so utterly.

"He is a hybrid, who wears a controller and has sworn to give his life for you." Jiraiya reminded him.

So Jiraiya knew about the plaque. Sasuke wondered exactly how much the man knew. Who had told him? The Captain? Then, suddenly, he understood what Jiraiya meant. To outside eyes, they could be slave and master. One inequality balanced the other.

"And it will do you good to have a lover, Sasuke-san," Jiraiya leered. "Particularly one so proficient at pleasuring you."

Sasuke scowled, knowing that he was blushing. He stood and bowed slightly, "Jiraiya-san."

Jiraiya stood and bowed deeper, "Sasuke-sama."

When Naruto woke Sasuke was watching him, which was odd because it was him who watched Sasuke, not the other way around. His naked body looked battered. There was a bite mark on his shoulder, another on his neck. There were bruises on his hips and around his mouth. The wondrous events of the previous night tarnished as Naruto noted each corresponding injury. He sat up, whimpering, desperate to see if he had done any more damage. He wanted to weep.

"Stop it, dobe," Sasuke told him. "You are not allowed to ruin the best night of my life by obsessing over a few bruises."

It took a few moments for what Sasuke had said to sink in, then Naruto smiled. "Me too," he replied, "the best, by far." He thought about it a bit more. "Nothing else comes close. You were awesome."

Sasuke smiled at him. Sasuke so rarely smiled. "And you were incredible, Naruto. Truly incredible."

"Incredible is good?" Naruto checked.

"Incredible is excellent," Sasuke confirmed.

As both cats were unavailable, Shikamaru had been 'asked' to sort out the midday meal. He had planned to creep through the crew room and only make food that could be prepared silently. He had spent half the night trying not to imagine what it would be like to be the object of an unleashed Naruto's desire. If Sasuke needed to sleep for days, or have a session in the dia-doc tank, Shikamaru would understand.

So the last thing he expected to see was the two of them larking about in the galley. He stopped where he had a line of sight but was still far enough away that they were unlikely to notice him. It was fascinating. Sasuke looked… …happy. He also looked as if he had been in a fight, but he did not seem to mind. There was lots of yelling of 'dobe' and 'teme'. Naruto was holding a spoon up out of Sasuke's reach and Sasuke was trying various tactics to obtain it. Finally Sasuke hugged him, tilting his chin up as if seeking a kiss. It worked; Naruto dropped his arm to hug back. Sasuke had the spoon in a trice and began stirring the soup. There was another exchange of 'teme' and 'dobe' and then Naruto's eyes turned to him. Shikamaru wondered how long Naruto had been aware of his presence.

The two of them had been preparing food for everyone. Sasuke took the Captain's tray to her while Naruto set the table and Shikamaru cleared up.

"Happy, Na-chan?" he asked.

Naruto turned his glorious blue eyes to him and gave Shikamaru a thousand watt smile. "Yes. He is mine and I am his."

Shikamaru wished he could be confident about Sasuke's side of the equation. "There was no missing how much you wanted him. That howling."

Naruto did not appear even the least bit embarrassed. "He gave himself to me, Shi-chan. I was the real me and he still wanted me. I sucked him," Naruto displayed his fangs, "and fucked him with my weird prick but this morning he still wants me."

"You've left out the bit about him having two amazing orgasms, if the screaming was anything to go by." Shikamaru reminded him. He was glad Naruto had told him, it made him surer about Sasuke, but he knew that Sasuke was too private a person to want them having such a discussion. "Na-chan, maybe there's some stuff you should keep between you and Sasuke."

"There is," Naruto told him. "Then there is some other stuff I need to share with my best friend."

That touched Shikamaru deeply, "Thanks, Na-chan."

Kakashi was watching the two of them. Naruto was lying on the couch with his head in Sasuke's lap. Sasuke had a viewer in one hand while the fingers of his other hand played in Naruto's hair. At that moment, Kakashi wished that there was no Uchiha, that they could be what they seemed, a traditional spacer crew whose only cares were survival and each other. He waited until Ibiki took his cup back to the galley and then followed him in, "May I speak with you, Ibiki-san?" he asked. Later, pleased but not surprised by the outcome of their conversation, Kakashi leaned over the back of the couch and said to Sasuke, "It's time, Sasuke."

Naruto heard what Kakashi said to Sasuke, so he did not ask when Sasuke lost interest in whatever he had been viewing and excused himself, although he was intrigued when he reappeared with a box, which he placed on their bunk. Sasuke's eyes invited him over. They sat, cross-legged, opposite each other. It reminded Naruto of the time in the bathroom in Tarrasade. Sasuke opened the box's lid. "It is time for me to tell you who I am, Naruto, and who we are going to be."

* * *

_Author's note_

_A few months after finishing this story I wrote a one-shot that fits into the story here. When I decided to publish the story on this site I thought about including it as a chapter here but it did not fit - the style is too different. Look for a one-shot on this site - **Silver Leaf Tales: Tying the knot**._


	17. The beginning

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Narutfo in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you to those readers who have left a review. I read an pay great attention to each one._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.

* * *

_Author's note_

_A few months after finishing this story I wrote a one-shot that fits into the story here. When I decided to publish the story on this site I thought about including it as a chapter here but it did not fit - the style is too different. Search for it as a one-shot on this site - **Silver Leaf Tales: Tying the knot**._

* * *

**17. The beginning**

* * *

Sasuke invited the Captain to the crew room. Iruka had instructed them to clear the couches and arrange the central area for a formal meeting, with eight places around a low table. Kakashi indicated to each of them where they should sit. Once all had settled, Sasuke began.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I am the surviving child of Fugaku-kyou who last led the Uchiha. I am the only full-blooded Uchiha alive. I have vowed to rebuild my clan. I am also a member of the Silver Leaf crew. I am cat." He looked his right where Kakashi sat.

"I am Kakashi. I was Beloved Companion to Obito Uchiha. I am sworn to the Uchiha. I took a vow of service to Sasuke on the day he was born. My task was to find a traditional crew, prepare it to receive Sasuke as cat, to oversee his development and to protect him. I am crew on the Silver Leaf."

"I am Iruka. I am… …queen on the Silver Leaf. I am willing to swear to the new Uchiha."

"I am Tsunade. I am Captain of the Silver Leaf. I have sworn to protect Sasuke Uchiha as long as he is a member of this crew and to never act against his interests."

"I am Ibiki. I am crew on the Silver Leaf. I am willing to swear to the new Uchiha."

"I am Shikamaru. I am crew on the Silver Leaf. I am willing to swear to the new Uchiha."

"I am Jiraiya. I was sworn to the Uchiha on the day I was born. I had the same vow of service to Obito Uchiha as Kakashi has to Sasuke. I am crew on the Silver Leaf."

"I am Naruto. I am Beloved Companion to Sasuke Uchiha. I am cat on the Silver Leaf."

"Kakashi?" Sasuke requested.

"I ask Jiraiya to speak." Kakashi responded.

"This is how Uchiha started," Jiraiya began. "With a crew. It is fitting that it should be revived from the same beginning. What made Uchiha great were loyalty, trust and honour. Such qualities cannot be bought. They must be inspired and earned. Sasuke inherits traditions, wealth and reputation. Wealth can corrupt. As for reputation, infamy would await he who killed the last Uchiha. The traditions are exacting but they must guide us."

"Sasuke needs to stay on the Silver Leaf for as long as is feasibly possible," Kakashi clarified. "For over a hundred generations this has been the best way of keeping young Uchiha alive without preventing them acquiring the experience they need. For now, anonymity is safest."

"What about what happened on Minunderville?" Shikamaru asked. "That crew, the one that had Naruto, they seemed to know who he was."

"I wonder," Tsunade replied. "If they had known you would have expected there to have been others by now."

"Or someone is biding their time," Jiraiya suggested, "or it has taken this long for them to convey the information they collected and for the recipient to respond."

"There is one thing we can do to make him safer," Ibiki said. "We can promote Naruto to crew. That would mean we would have the option of putting him forward as champion if we are challenged."

There was silence. Ibiki was correct but Naruto wished the big man had stayed silent. Sasuke would loathe it and Kakashi might be offended by the implication of weakness. If Naruto were crew, tradition would dictate that Sasuke would be left fulfilling all the duties of cat.

"Is there much risk of us meeting a crew with a fighter better than Kakashi?" Iruka asked.

"There is an easy way of defeating me," Kakashi admitted. "I cannot cope with a second challenge if I have used my implant. Also I know of two fighters who could beat me in a single encounter. Naruto is one of them. If there are two then there are others. It would be better if we had the option of using Naruto."

"Sasuke can't stay cat forever," Iruka observed. "What happens when he is promoted and is no longer immune to personal challenge?"

"He cannot be promoted without giving him a bodyguard," Shikamaru explained. "Once we do that it is like putting a 'here's someone worth killing' sign on him. It's a small step between that and people working out his identity. Promoting Sasuke requires us to give up on anonymity and be suddenly much stronger. We would have to travel with more ships. We would need to recruit a lot more people. We would have to be sure of each and every one of them. At this stage, it is much better for Sasuke to remain cat. Sorry, Sasuke-san, I know it is not fair."

Naruto watched Sasuke forcing himself to relax.

"Life is rarely fair, Shikamaru-san, he said, then looked towards Kakashi. "Is the original plan still valid? Can I be promoted in a standard's time?"

"We will need to work hard but, yes, I believe so." Kakashi told him.

"Then I will do my best to take on Naruto's duties and apologise in advance for being a poor substitute." Sasuke said, with the smallest of suggested smiles.

A tiny part of Naruto was pleased that Sasuke was strong enough to joke; the rest bristled at the thought of any other man touching him. He heard himself growling. Those who had not been looking at him turned towards him.

Tsunade's lips quirked. "I think it would be safer to establish that Sasuke is not expected to provide intimate companionship to anyone other than Naruto," she suggested.

"That is hardly traditional," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Neither is delaying a cat's promotion past the time he is well-capable of being crew," Tsunade countered. "We are having this meeting because we are accepting that we are not a traditional crew and that Sasuke is, because of his heritage, more valuable than the rest of us." She laughed. "Given the choice between bending tradition and having your cock ripped off and stuffed down your throat, I would prefer you to choose the formal, Ji-chan. I am surprisingly fond of your cock."

Jiraiya's shock and Tsunade's laughter helped Naruto recover. He risked a glance at Sasuke, but Sasuke's expression was blank. He imagined Sasuke's reaction to his display of possessiveness and cringed inside.

"That's going to leave the three of you without access to a cat," Iruka observed. "Perhaps Naruto could continue to oblige," he suggested.

"That will not be necessary," Ibiki answered. "I will be grateful if an opportunity to recruit a suitable cat presents itself, but I will not be asking Naruto."

"Me neither," Shikamaru added. "It's not the same since he lost interest."

Naruto felt himself flush scarlet. He had tried so hard to hide his sudden lack of enthusiasm.

"It's not your fault, Na-chan," Shikamaru continued. "The species of fox they got your genes from is monogamous for life."

There was utter silence. Shikamaru shrivelled under Iruka's glare. Naruto guessed that 'monogamous' was something bad.

"Monogamous?" he asked.

"One mate," Jiraiya explained. "Shikamaru is suggesting that you won't want to fuck anyone else but Sasuke for the rest of your life, or of his, whichever is shorter."

Naruto swallowed. That was fine by him, from what Shikamaru said he was probably built like that, but Sasuke? "It's only me," he insisted, turning toward where Sasuke sat at his right. "You can fuck anyone you want," he promised.

"Provided you don't find out and castrate them," Jiraiya muttered.

"Be silent, Jiraiya," Sasuke ordered. His gaze bored into the older man, who coloured slightly and looked away. "Shikamaru, please watch your tongue more carefully." He reached for Naruto's hand and stood up. "We will be back soon," he announced and led Naruto towards the galley.

Once the door was shut, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's chest and hugged him tightly. "It's fine, dobe. All of it. If it turns out you are monogamous, it's just part of you, like your whiskers and your superhuman speed and going berserk. It all makes you Naruto."

Naruto nuzzled Sasuke's hair. "I am sorry I growled."

Sasuke kissed his neck. "I can live with Jiraiya thinking you will castrate him if he touches me."

"What about the promotion? Shikamaru is right, it isn't fair."

"But it is logical. I need your protection, Naruto. This is necessary until you can openly stand beside me."

Naruto was warmed by Sasuke's acceptance. He drew Sasuke closer and Sasuke allowed it for a moment before reminding him that they had a meeting to attend.

The plan was to recruit and, between them, they had a list of twelve individuals, the location of four of whom was known. They started with the one who was easiest to find, a woman called Rin who had been recommended by Kakashi as a possible Chief Medico and whose quality had been confirmed, somewhat reluctantly, by Jiraiya.

"Uchiha would never have had a woman in such a prominent position," he complained that evening.

"You did not raise any objection in front of the Captain," observed Ibiki.

"This is the new Uchiha," Sasuke stated. "It will not be a clone of what was before. Kakashi recommended her: it does not matter that she is a woman."

"How good is she?" Shikamaru asked.

Kakashi considered. "If someone dies and Rin is there, you know there was no chance of survival."

Shikamaru explained to Naruto that booking the crew in at Mercy Station was the equivalent of taking the ship to a yard for an overhaul. Naruto did not like the place, mostly because of the smell and the bright lights. They waited in a comfortable room for the medico. At exactly the time of their appointment a male medico appeared and began introducing himself but was halted by a gesture from the Captain.

"We have an appointment to see Rin-san." Kakashi stated.

"And I am a member of Rin-sempai's team," the medico explained. "Sempai cannot see every crew who books in."

Kakashi was stopped from arguing further by Shikamaru's hand on his arm. "We have him," he said, pointing at Naruto. "That's why we want Rin-san."

The medico glanced at Naruto and then stared.

"None of our diagnostic gadgets will work on him." Shikamaru continued. "Do you have Rin-san's experience in dealing with hybrids?"

They had to wait, but eventually a neat, composed, slim, brown-haired woman arrived. Her medico tattoos were bold, two slanting purple rectangles, one on each cheek. She stood absolutely still for a moment and then was running towards Kakashi. She leapt at him, wrapping her legs about his waist and her arms about his neck.

"Ka-chan!" she squealed.

He spun her around once. "You never change, Ri-chan."

"It is good to see you again, Rin," Iruka said in greeting.

She looked at him with cool eyes. "You still with him, Iruka? That must be a record."

"Rin," Kakashi warned. "You know Jiraiya," he added.

"Old man," Rin acknowledged.

"I need to introduce you to the rest of my crew," Kakashi told her.

She released her grip on him, stood, straightened her tunic and turned. Her gaze fell on Sasuke and Naruto saw all the colour drain from her face. However, she pretended to ignore him, as was proper behaviour towards a cat when introduced to a crew. She exchanged polite and pleasant greetings with the others.

"I hope you are not here for my expertise about hybrids," she said, once the introductions were over. She looked Naruto up and down. "I have none. You are, Naruto-san, a most magnificent specimen. This is good because I doubt that any of my equipment will work on you."

"I am fine, Rin-san," Naruto assured her. "It was Shikamaru's trick so that you would come in person."

She looked at Shikamaru and nodded.

"It is a matter of recalibrating the machines," Shikamaru told her. "It is troublesome but not that difficult. I reprogrammed our dia-doc to work on him."

She looked at him and smiled. "I would be interested to see how you did that, Shikamaru-san." Then she paused before saying, suddenly, "Is it time, Kakashi?"

"It is time, Rin."

"The answer is 'yes'."

She went to stand before Sasuke, knelt and bowed until her forehead touched the ground.


	18. Rin

_This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment._

_I would like to thank those readers who have taken time to write a review. I read each one carefully._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**18. Rin**

* * *

"She's going to live with us in the crew room?" Naruto queried.

"Rin-san is going to be crew," Iruka said patiently. "Where did you expect her to live?"

"But she's a woman."

"The only relevant difference between men and women is that women get pregnant and have babies. Rin will not get pregnant.

"Rin, however, is Rin," Jiraiya observed. "So we can expect trouble."

"Have you crewed with Rin-san before, Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke asked.

Iruka shook his head. "No, she crewed with Kakashi and Jiraiya many standards ago. Perhaps she has changed since then. Perhaps she will have mellowed."

"Some hope," Jiraiya murmured. "It will be like having Genma back only ten times worse. She'll flirt constantly with Kakashi and squeal."

"Squeal like she did when we met her?" asked Ibiki, horrified.

"Yes, Ibiki-san," Jiraiya confirmed, "exactly like that."

It was bad. Rin did, indeed, flirt outrageously with Kakashi. She also challenged Iruka's authority at every possible opportunity. The rows were horrendous, particularly for Naruto who seemed to lack the others' ability to tune them out. The one, small, relief was that she rarely squealed.

Naruto's new way of coping was to walk out of the crew room. The second time Sasuke followed him to the gym and watched him train until he dropped. The third time was in the middle of their evening meal. Iruka snapped and Rin followed up, triumphant that she had managed to ruin the most sacrosanct of Iruka's daily rituals. Naruto stopped eating, stood and walked out, ignoring Iruka's calls for him to return. Rin made some comment about Iruka's lack of authority and Iruka retaliated.

Sasuke found himself on his feet, his fist impacting the table so hard that the dishes jumped. "This stops," he ordered. "It stops now. Rin, goading Iruka is not a sport. If you continue I will assign you to a research facility. Iruka, winning an argument is not so important that it is worth upsetting Naruto. Kakashi, you may find watching the two of them fight over you amusing, but the rest of us are sick of it. Sort it out." He watched Rin's lips part to deliver a clever retort. "Don't push, me, Rin," he warned.

She stayed silent. No one said anything. Sasuke stalked away, intent on finding Naruto. Then Iruka almost ran from the galley, followed more slowly by Kakashi.

"That was interesting," observed Shikamaru into the silence.

"He means it," Jiraiya added gleefully. "Make Naruto miserable and you'll be gone."

Rin grimaced, "Does he play the Uchiha-sama card often?"

Ibiki scowled at her. "No."

Shikamaru appeared to be looking at some point on the ceiling. "Is Sasuke right? Are you deluded enough to think Kakashi would give up Iruka for a kyapi-kyapi gyaru like you?"

"Shikamaru!" Ibiki scolded while Jiraiya chuckled. "Please excuse Shikamaru, Rin-san," continued Ibiki. "His loyalty has overtaken his manners."

"Don't speak for me, Ibiki," Shikamaru complained, "I am not cat." He spared a brief look for Rin. "I apologise for voicing my thoughts."

Rin shrugged. "I deserved to be insulted, if not the insult. No, I do not expect Kakashi to choose me over Iruka. Kakashi has never chosen me. It is good that he has Iruka. It is good to see him close to happy."

"So you will stop," Shikamaru checked.

"I will stop," Rin agreed. "I can find other amusements and I think Sasuke-san does not make hollow threats."

Naruto was not sure what had happened but he was grateful it had. Once Rin stopped being mean to Iruka it was easier for Naruto not to dislike her, which was good because he had to spend time with her. She and Shikamaru were modifying the new diagnostic and treatment machines to accept him. That involved much lying down while they collected data. He would listen to them arguing. Occasionally Shikamaru would check on him but Rin never did. Sometimes Naruto thought it was because Shikamaru was his friend while Rin was not. Other times he wondered if she saw him as human.

At least watching them gave him something to do while he was laying there. At first they just argued. Shikamaru had dismissed Rin as someone who over-rated her own intelligence. Rin moved from thinking Shikamaru was arrogant to resenting his condescension. Then came the morning that Rin won an argument because she out-thought Shikamaru. That was the moment his attitude towards her changed. Naruto could smell it.

He wanted her, but he did not want her to know it. He achieved this for a surprising number of days.

Then Rin worked it out.

Shikamaru sat with his forehead against the galley table. He twitched at the sound of someone walking through the crew room towards the galley.

"It's only Jiraiya," Naruto reassured him. "Rin's running the maintenance on the old dia-doc and its tank. Sasuke says it will take her at least another 100 minutes. He's promised to keep her there."

"This looks interesting," Jiraiya observed, taking one of the unoccupied seats.

"We are sympathising with Shikamaru," Ibiki informed him. "About Rin."

"Aarh," said Jiraiya, sagely.

"He wants to fuck her," Naruto explained, his tone confirming that he believed Shikamaru was insane.

"But she does not reciprocate his feelings," added Ibiki.

Jiraiya considered. "Even if she does, she is not going to pass up such a wonderful opportunity to persecute someone who called her a bimbo."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"She flirts," moaned Shikamaru

"Flirt back?" Naruto suggested.

Ibiki snorted and Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

"She calls me Shika-kun. She treats me as if I were barely old enough to cat." Shikamaru groaned, "I need a cat so bad."

The other three males nodded. Everyone in the crew room was aware of Shikamaru's nightly attempts to assuage his desire. The only long-term effect it had was to increase Rin's arsenal.

"Ask Iruka and Kakashi to help you out," Jiraiya suggested, "they are fond enough of you to do it."

Shikamaru's head came off the table and he stared at Jiraiya. "Ask them to…"

"Why not? You went with them when you were cat."

"You did?" asked Naruto.

"I didn't have your experience," Shikamaru admitted, "someone had to teach me." He considered. "It's a thought."

"Only if you are certain you never, never, never want to fuck Rin," Ibiki told him.

Shikamaru slowly turned to Jiraiya. "You are an evil, manipulative old pervert," he complained.

Jiraiya shrugged, "I try."

"I could ask Sasuke," Naruto suggested slowly.

All three turned to him. "No, Naruto," said Shikamaru. "That would not work on so many levels that it isn't even worth discussing."

"Frigid cat, monogamous fox, irrational possessiveness, fucking the boss, running the risk of getting your cock torn off and pushed down your throat," listed Jiraiya.

"I would offer," said Ibiki, "but…"

Shikamaru held up his hand. "I agree, Ibiki-san."

Jiraiya suddenly smiled. "I have an idea. I shall begin pursuing Rin. This should at least give you some space, Shika-kun, and may have other unexpected effects."

Shikamaru flinched to hear that particular version of his name. "Thank you, Jiraiya-san. At least I think so."

It worked. Rin was completed unnerved by Jiraiya's sudden attention. Rin spent much time in the infirmary and only came to the crew room to sleep and eat. One evening, when a particularly graphic compliment had driven Rin away from the crew room, Kakashi turned to Jiraiya.

"This has to stop, old man," he said. "It is too cruel."

Jiraiya dismissed him. "You are making too much of it. It is a game, a mere fancy."

"On your side perhaps, but not on hers."

Iruka frowned. "You should let up, Jiraiya-san. We do not want to drive Rin-san away."

Shikamaru waited until the conversation was over and quietly left. Rin was in the infirmary, sitting at her console, staring at nothing. Shikamaru knocked on the bulkhead and she startled.

"Oh, it is you, Shikamaru-san."

"I am here to apologise, Rin-san."

She looked at him and then nodded for him to proceed.

"I apologise for calling you a kyapi-kyapi gyaru. If I had not done that, you would have had no reason to tease me and Jiraiya-san would not be pretending to be interested in you. He said he would do it to distract you."

Rin's intelligent brown eyes studied him. "And I apologise for being mean to Iruka. I understand why you boys are so fond of him and it is natural that you should defend him. As for Jiraiya, I think you presented him with an opportunity rather than a reason. Jiraiya has reasons for the things he does but they are rarely so straightforward."

Shikamaru considered leaving it at that but decided to finish implementing his plan. "I wish to state that I find you very attractive, Rin-san, and that I would be honoured if you ever decided to investigate physical intimacy with me."

Rin smiled at him. "That is a sweet offer, Shikamaru-san. I shall keep it in mind."

Naruto had not minded so much when Rin had been hiding in the infirmary. It was better than Shi-chan being wrecked or Iruka-sensei being upset. Even so, he was pleased that everyone had now settled comfortably into the crew room. They were heading for a planet called Dar to find one of the people the Captain had put on the list. Rin finally had the infirmary equipped and running as she wanted, including recalibrating the dia-docs so that they would work for him. She was seeing each crew member in turn; this morning it was he.

"You appear healthy, Naruto," Rin concluded after she had described the tests she had run. She took a deep breath; Naruto could tell she was nervous about his reaction to what she was about to say. "Sasuke has told me to offer nanobots and age-retard to everyone. However, I cannot offer them to you because they are designed for humans who do not have any animal genes. Shikamaru has run simulations and we believe the risks are too great. They are as likely to do you damage as help you." She paused and then sighed. "Naruto, do you understand what I am saying?"

"No nanobots or age-retard because of the fox genes." Naruto confirmed.

"Does it bother you, Naruto?" she asked.

Naruto considered. "No," he replied.

Rin shook her head. She brushed his controller with the very tip of one finger. "Does anything bother you?"

Naruto did not pull away; he had to resist the urge to bite her finger. "Some things bother me. Iruka or Shikamaru being upset bothers me," he warned.


	19. Shino

_This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment._

_My gratitude to readers who have left a review. They are much appreciated._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.

* * *

**19. Shino**

* * *

Dar was a one-product planet. Rival families vied to create the most sophisticated aerial automata. The planetary government, keen to attract trade, refused to allow the families establish off planet outlets. So the spacers came, landing their ships in one of the three great spaceports and bringing their alien ways to the cities that had grown up around them.

They dropped into the quietest spaceport. This was no space station or spacer planet; they would be living on the ship. Naruto looked at his knives: this would be the first time he would wear them.

He heard Sasuke walking up behind him and inhaled to scent his essence before strong arms wrapped about his waist and Sasuke's body moulded itself to his back. He was briefly disappointed that the hug was so brief but then Sasuke was crouching in front of him, arming him, placing and attaching each sheath exactly as they had decided.

Naruto sensed the others watching them and looked away from Sasuke to see Kakashi's pride, Iruka's small smile and Rin's confusion. His attention was recaptured as Sasuke finished and rose into his arms. The kiss was short but intense.

Jiraiya split his attention between the lovers, which was too erotic a spectacle to miss, and Rin's reaction to it. He made sure that he was close enough to her for conversation as they waited for Ibiki and Naruto to secure the ship.

"He is… …different," she admitted.

Jiraiya knew that she meant Sasuke. For Rin, Naruto was an oddity, perhaps a tool. Time would see if her attitude changed. "You would prefer him to be like his brother?"

Rin shuddered. "No. Never. I see Obito in him, which is nice."

"Perhaps. Yes. A little. We need to build legends, Rin. He has the potential for legends."

Rin could see that. Aspects of Sasuke made the heart sing: his extraordinary beauty; the music; his stillness; even his determination to have a relationship with a hybrid. She shook herself; this was neither the time nor the place for introspection. A crew on the move was a target.

They had come to Dar seeking Shibi of the family Aburame. Once they reached the Aburame shop, Tsunade introduced herself as a friend and the woman behind the counter said that she would see if he was available. A tall man with a bush of brown hair and a dark, wraparound visor appeared and greeted Tsunade warmly.

They were soon deep in conversation, leaving the rest of the crew investigating what the shop had to offer. Ibiki was interested in the Flyers; tiny aerial cameras shaped as insects. He had Rin trying to operate the demonstration model while he and Shikamaru observed. Naruto stayed alert. Kakashi appeared relaxed. Sasuke was silent, moving smoothly or being still. Iruka watched his crew. Jiraiya watched Tsunade with Shibi.

Tsunade shook her head as she rejoined them. "He has too many commitments," she admitted to Iruka and Jiraiya. She paused, studying Sasuke who was trying to appear disinterested in the Flyers. "He wants us to consider his son."

"We said that we would only take those we knew," Jiraiya reminded her.

"I know, but maybe we are expecting too much for those we knew to disconnect from their lives for us. What if Rin is the only one ready so to do?" She sighed. "He knows we are involved in a dangerous venture and he offers us his son in his place. We should be honoured."

"How old?" asked Iruka.

"A few standards older than Shikamaru. Never catted, the Aburames will not allow it. Has been with three semi-traditional crews on short-term contracts. Good technical skills. Is sure he wants to space. They have been looking for the right crew."

"Speak with Kakashi," Iruka recommended.

Shino looked like his father only taller, thinner and paler. Not that there was much skin to see between the wraparound visor and a high collar that stood away from this neck. His left hand was encased in a metallic mesh glove. He wore a coat and a backpack.

"This is going to be difficult," Iruka murmured to Kakashi, "how do we see enough to judge?"

"Shibi-san has invited us to his home," Tsunade announced, "to have a meal with his family."

Naruto had never met a family or visited a home. He watched Kakashi, hoping to model his behaviour on that of his sensei. They went through a door on a street, through an inner door and into a room. There the two Aburame men began shedding layers: their visors, coats, the mesh glove, boots, the backpack and a surprising assortment of equipment, some of which appeared to move independently. Each had a locker that filled as they stripped down to trousers and shirts, then pushed their bare feet into simple slippers. Under his visor Shino had strange, reflective eyes.

The Captain moved first. She removed her jacket, her boots and all her weapons except for her personal knife. Shibi-san then showed her an assortment of guests' slippers from which to make a selection. Kakashi followed her lead so Naruto did likewise. Sasuke waited until instructed by Iruka; careful to play the role of cat.

Then Naruto went through another door and into a wonderland.

There was a garden with pretty flying creatures and water trickling down rocks. There were rooms that felt like the crew room but looked and smelt better. There were children; happy children who tried to be polite but who fidgeted until they were released to play. There were nice ladies who were kind to him even though he did not know what to do or to say. He felt Sasuke beside him, watching him, drawn out of his role by Naruto's uncertainty.

It was easier when they were seated on chairs about a big table. Naruto relaxed a little, thankful for Iruka-sensei's insistence that they had formal meals on ship. He had a girl child opposite him who was fascinated by his whiskers. Naruto twitched them and gave a smile that did not expose his fangs. Her face lit up and she hid a small giggle behind her hand.

After the meal they spread across the rooms and the garden. Iruka had been cocentrating on his task of watching Shino but he found himself distracted by Sasuke's agitation. Tradition demanded that Sasuke stay within five steps of him. He wondered how long Naruto had been absent for Sasuke to be so jumpy. He turned to Shibi.

"Have you seen Naruto, Shibi-san?"

Shibi smiled at him. "Just follow the sound of laughter, Iruka-san," he advised.

Iruka signalled Sauke to accompany him and made his way to the garden. Naruto was on the ground playing with the children. Three of them were wrestling him and he was using a tiny fraction of his strength to provide them with appropriate opposition. The fourth child was clinging to his back, her arms around his neck and her cheek buried in the fur of his hair. At the other side of the garden, Rin was sitting beside the children's mother on one of the benches, watching. That seemed an excellent idea. Iruka went to the bench at this side and gestured to Sasuke to sit beside him.

Sauke had been worried about Naruto as soon as they reached the unrobing room. His fear of making an error, his constant vigilance, reminded Sasuke of Naruto's first days on the ship. The meal had been easier. Then he had vanished, led away by a child, while Sasuke had been obliged to remain close to Iruka.

He had not expected this. Sasuke knew that it was special and significant, but not why. He needed to watch it, to remember it.

Then there was a small girl in front of him offering him a flower. He took it, thanked her and, after a moment's hesitation, smiled. She smiled shyly in return, then turned and ran back towards her brothers. Sasuke eyes followed her and met Naruto's gaze. Their eyes locked, space dark to sky blue, until the small girl reached her target and threw her arms about Naruto's neck.

When they returned to the ship they had a Meeting about Shino. Arguments went back and forth about risk and opportunity, experience and potential, known and uncertain. Finally the Captain asked everyone to make a final contribution before the vote. Naruto, who had listened little and said nothing, stared at some point in the middle distance and tried to put his thoughts into words. "His father, he's been trying to tell us that taking Shino is like taking him because what makes a man like that is what we saw, that family."

The vote was nine-zero. They would propose crew membership to Shino.

They met in a spacer bar but in the afternoon, when such venues were used more for business than for pleasure. Shino was fully armoured with coat, backpack, visor and glove. Naruto could hear the faint buzz of the two Flyers that sheltered in his high collar. They talked shares and duties. Tsunade carefully spoke around a long-term commitment that most of the crew shared and that Shino might choose to take on in time. Then Iruka began homing in on the cat issue.

"You may have noticed that Naruto has some non-human genes," he began.

"That he is a hybrid? Yes, I have noticed that," agreed Shino.

"One aspect of his nature is that he bonds very strongly to one person. That has happened with Sasuke. Due to this, Sasuke no long is required to be intimate with other crew. We will understand if this is unacceptable to you and you choose not to join us."

Shino looked at Sasuke. "It is a disappointment," he confessed.

There was the slightest suggestion of a growl from Naruto, which refocused Shino's attention.

"But by no means a deal breaker," he continued. "I am honoured that you should invite me and I accept unhesitatingly."

Unlike Rin, Shino slid without friction into the crew. He moved into the lab, which he and Shikamaru then expanded into the old infirmary. He, Shikamaru and Rin had long debates about tiny details of technology. Ibiki, Naruto and he worked on integrating Flyers and other modifications into their security protocols. He watched each of them, but particularly Naruto and Kakashi, training. He was quiet in the crew room, sang well and was unfailingly polite at mealtimes. He and Shikamaru assisted each other when the lack of a proper cat became difficult. He fit very well.

Five of the eight they were seeking were known to have passed though Farrellez and there was a possibility that one might still be residing in the space station. Farrellez was more of a risk than Tarrasade, less than Minunderville. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Rin and Kakashi had contacts there who might have useful information. On balance, it seemed the sensible option.

They rented a unit in the more exclusive and secure second ring. Promoting Naruto meant that they could split the crew, with Kakashi accompanying anyone seeking information and Naruto staying in the unit to guard Sasuke. By the sixth day they had established that none of the eight were living on Farrellez, had new leads on three and had spent time on the more usual spacer pursuits of trading and shopping. They has decided to forgo the additional risk of clubbing. Overall, the visit had been successful.

The crew was waiting for them at the entrance to the spur to their ship, the classic interception point for a challenge. The two crews faced each other. One of the strangers flipped a small stick that rose up, end over end, and then down to land with a jangle on the metal floor. It was Genma's senbon.

"We challenge for your cat, for Sasuke Uchiha," the man announced.

"Brother?" Sasuke queried, his voice quavering with disbelief. "Itachi? Aniki?"


	20. Loyalties

_This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment._

_Thank you to those readers who have left a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**20. Loyalties**

* * *

It was a crew of eight. Seven were swathed in hooded cloaks and the seventh, the man who had spoken, had his hood and cloak swept back. His hair and eyes were dark. There was no mistaking his resemblance to the Silver Leaf's cat.

"It is good to see you, little brother," he purred.

Sasuke moved towards him but Jiraiya caught him. "It is a trick, Sasuke. Itachi died."

"Is that what they told you, little brother? That I was dead?"

Sasuke looked from Jiraiya, to the man who looked so like his brother, to Kakashi.

"Jiraiya-san, Kakashi-san," the man acknowledged.

"I do not know you," Kakashi replied.

"If that is the game we must play," the man agreed. "Do you want to know how we found you, Kakashi-san?"

All eyes went to where the senbon lay discarded on the floor.

"Genma-san did try not to tell us," the man said sadly, "but…" His smile was mocking.

"You evil bastard!" spat Rin.

"And Rin-san, how pleasant. So many former acquaintances in one place. You remember Kisame?"

The biggest of them pushed back the hood of his cloak revealing pale blue, scaly skin and one small white eye. The other socket was covered with a patch and in his forehead was embedded an Uchiha plaque.

Sasuke's breath caught, "Kisame-san?" he asked.

"Little Sasu-chan," the sharkman replied, "you have grown well. Itachi-san has missed you so. Please forgive me if I am forced to kill Kakashi-san. I am certain that the two of you have become close. Kakashi-san, at last we fight in earnest."

Sasuke started forward again, pulling against Jiraiya's grasp.

"Sasuke, remain where you are, " the Captain ordered. "I am Tsunade, Captain of the Silver Leaf. I demand that your captain identify him or herself and your ship."

A medium-sized figure spoke from the anonymity of his hood. "I am Raiga, Captain of the Morning Mist. Our spokesperson is Itachi. Our champion is Kisame."

"We acknowledge your challenge and prepare our reponse," Tsunade replied. "Watch them," she told Ibiki. She beckoned Kakashi to her.

They stood together, heads bowed, voices low. "Kakashi?" she queried.

"Unless he is less of a fighter than he once was, I cannot beat him." Kakashi admitted.

"Can Naruto?"

"Kisame has greater strength, an implant and experience: he is likely to win." Kakashi took a deep breath and exhaled; trying to push his thoughts past Naruto's death. "We could rechallenge. Kisame is not that well-adjusted to the implant. If he uses it against Naruto, I would have a good chance against him. Use Jiraiya as spokesperson. Rin may have to drug Sasuke. He is confused and he may behave unpredictably. Tell Jiraiya to draw out the negotiations. I need time with Naruto and with Sasuke."

* * *

Tsunade spoke to Jiraiya while Kakashi guided Sasuke to where Naruto was standing.

"Sasuke, listen to me," Kakashi began. "You must trust me. I vowed to keep you safe. I cannot hand you over to another crew, whoever they are or whoever they are pretending to be."

"But it is Itachi," whispered Sasuke.

"I do not know them but I know they should not have you," insisted Naruto. "You belong with us not them. They smell wrong. They did bad things to Genma. They will have to kill both of us to get you and then keep you. I go first, Kakashi-sensei."

"But…" Sasuke was split between his remembered brother and the thought of losing the two people who meant most to him.

"I love you, Sasuke," Naruto told him.

"Naruto?" he begged.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I wear our plaque? I have it with me, in my lockbox. Please could Shikamaru help me adjust my collar? I think Ibiki would be best on the activator."

* * *

"I am Jiraiya. I am spokesperson of the Silver Leaf. We evoke our right to rechallenge." Jiraiya was pleased to see the traitor taken aback.

"We acknowledge your right to rechallenge." Itachi replied, suddenly interested in the other members of the Silver Leaf's crew: the big scarred man, the two brown-haired youngsters and the blond.

"We demand to see your reparation." Jiraiya continued.

Itachi snorted. He turned, took three steps and pulled a small, slight figure away from the side of a much larger one, who moved as if to intercept only to be pinned in place by the intensity of Itachi's glare. Itachi pulled back the slight figure's hood to expose a youngster whose prettiness rivalled Sasuke's beauty. "Our cat."

"We would prefer an alternative reparation," Jiraiya stated.

"There is no alternative reparation on offer, old man," Itachi replied. "Do you accept the challenge, or will you hand us your cat without a fight?"

"We accept the challenge. Our champion is Naruto."

* * *

Itachi's eyes devoured the blond youngster who briefly came to Jiraiya's side to accept designation as champion. He had planned so long and so carefully yet Kakashi could still surprise him. Where had the skinny scarecrow found someone capable of fighting at this level? Or was the youngster merely a distraction so that he could judge Kisame's form?

"He is a hybrid," Kisame murmured.

Itachi looked again, shocked that he should have missed the signs. When he thought of hybrids he thought of Kisame and this one could almost pass as human. He was too young, though, still immature. He had no hope against Kisame.

"A beserker," added Kisame.

There was a controller about the youngster's neck. Itachi was thankful that Kisame was doing his job and living in the moment. What else had he missed? Rin was up to something, but that was to be expected. Sasuke? He looked for the beauty that was his brother. Such an unexpected bonus. The information he had received suggested that the boy was hard and empty; this youngster was anything but that.

"Do I activate my implant?" Kisame asked.

Itachi hissed slightly. A double challenge; damn Kakashi. A lifted finger indicated that they should use their tried and trusted technique for making such a decision. A count of three and each left hand formed a gesture. They agreed: the implant would remain inactive until the second combat; until Kakashi.

* * *

Kisame hated to see Itachi like this. He stank from the unfettered emotions coursing through his body; even his judgement was suspect. He looked toward Kakashi, towards the past; better times.

Trust Kakashi to have a strategy that rivalled what Itachi could produce at his best. Kisame had supported Itachi's plan. He hoped that Sasuke could help him anchor Itachi to reality.

Killing Kakashi was unavoidable. Kakashi would not hold it against him. He would be sending Kakashi to his Beloved; releasing him from the trap in which Fugaku-sama had caught him. It was an act of mercy. Not so the boy. He was beautiful, with hair so bright and eyes so blue. Lucky boy, to have the genes of a canine rather than a shark.

Then Kisame saw it: the plaque. He watched as Sasuke threaded the controller through the holes and then, carefully, gently, fastened the collar round the boy's neck. He saw Sasuke's fingers linger on the boy's skin, the way the boy captured his hand and kissed the inside of his wrist, the look they exchanged.

The boy had what he would always be denied. His Uchiha loved him. Kisame raged: the blue eyes would be dull; the long limbs broken; the yellow fur soaked in blood.

* * *

They began.

* * *

Naruto kept his distance: once caught the huge man would break him. He drew a knife for each hand: the sharkman's skin was too tough for teeth or claws.

Flash attacks: Kakashi had told him he was the faster. He must improve Kakashi-sensei's chances: he must do as much damage as he could before he died.

He ran in an arc, building up speed, jumped to change direction and darted in with a lunge to the back of the right leg. His knife sliced flesh but missed the tendon. The sharkman had moved just enough. Another attack and another: each different from the last. Some, not many, made contact. A few, very few, threatened tendons or sliced muscle.

* * *

Kisame was impressed. The boy was a persistent fly with a particularly nasty sting. However, it was time to swat the fly. Kisame struck but the boy's body had already gone; instead he caught an arm. The boy was immediately twisting it from his grasp so Kisame threw him toward the wall and was rewarded by the sound of bones breaking.

He charged, expecting the boy to be crumpled on the ground. Instead he had leapt past Kisame's shoulder, striking for his implant with his remaining knife. The knife cut his brow and cheek, removing his patch.

Kisame's anger cooled into incisive calculation. The boy was not trying to kill him: his aim was to create an advantage for Kakashi and he was having some success. There was no hint of him losing control. He seemed oblivious to any pain from his damaged arm and showed no sign of tiring. It must be ended quickly. To do that Kisame had to catch him.

A straightforward attack would not do it. The boy was too fast. He must feint, a move Kisame had practiced all his life but had never had to use. Who would have thought that a mere boy could be such a worthy opponent?

He waited for the boy's next attack. Right, twist, not-twist, right and he had him. This time he would not let go. He sunk his teeth into the boy's shoulder; shuddering at the smell and the taste of fresh, warm blood. The boy was human enough to lose concentration for the split moment he needed.

Kisame shifted his grip. He held the boy above his head; back arched. Kisame went down on one knee, presenting the other as an anvil on which to smash the boy's spine.

Kisame looked to Itachi and saw his pleasure. Then he looked towards Sasuke and saw his hopeless despair. He felt his agony.

No.

He tossed the boy, who performed one of his unlikely contortions and landed crouched on his feet and one hand, his shattered arm hanging uselessly. Then the boy was up, running, building up momentum for another attack, ready to spring should an opening present itself.

And Kisame gave him one.

He felt the boy's knife punch into him, between his ribs, towards his heart. Kisame hugged him, making a show of crushing him but pushing the knife deeper. "Save him from becoming as his brother," he whispered into the boy's ear.

* * *

Naruto had lost. He had known it from the moment the sharkman had him held. It made no sense for him to be thrown clear, nor for the sharkman to expose his chest or to force the point of Naruto's knife into his heart.

Then the words; the confirmation that Kisame had let him win. He felt the arms around him loosen as the sharkman collapsed and rolled onto his back, exposing his chest and the hilt of Naruto's buried knife.

* * *

Itachi stared at Kisame's body. He had not only lost, he had allowed the youngster to win. He had betrayed him. Kisame, his Companion, had betrayed him.

If he had not already had a knife in his chest, Itachi would have put one there. Fury simmered and then boiled within him. It roared in his ears. He felt a hand on his arm. Itachi resisted the urge to cut it off. It was Raiga, ordering him to wind up the challenge. Zabuza and Chojuro were already retrieving Kisame's body.

He stalked over to the boy, who looked up at him with a sweet innocence that Itachi knew to be false. They were obliged to give him over and Itachi could not afford for Jiraiya to interrogate him. Itachi half dragged, half lifted the boy into position. He glanced towards Zabuza, checking that he was occupied trying to lift Kisame's body; then drew his knife. He gutted the boy, sliced his throat and tossed him toward Jiraiya.

Then he ran.


	21. Brother

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Heartfelt thanks to those readers who have left a review._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**21. Brother**

* * *

Sasuke's recognition of Itachi ran deep. It did not matter what Jiraiya said or that Kakashi refused to acknowledge him, he knew it was Itachi. Most of Sasuke wanted to run to him, as he had as a child. A small part whispered warnings. Where had he been for the last nine standards? Why challenge for him? Why did Rin hate him so? Had they really killed Genma?

Seeing Kisame-san released a flood of memories. Unlike Itachi, Kisame-san had not changed. He even called him Sasu-chan. But when Kisame-san said the words, "Please forgive me if I am forced to kill Kakashi-san." Sasuke's world shivered and threatened to break.

Kisame-san was the best fighter Uchiha had ever produced. Noone could touch him. Kakashi would not defeat him. Naruto would lose to him. He wanted to run at Itachi, to tell him to stop the challenge, that he would go with him, but Jiraiya would not loose his hold and the Captain was ordering him to stand.

The challenge rolled inexorably forward. Kakashi's hand was on his arm, taking him towards Naruto.

"Listen to me, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "You must trust me. I vowed to keep you safe. I cannot hand you over to another crew, whoever they are or whoever they are pretending to be."

"I know they should not have you," added Naruto. "You belong with us not them. They smell wrong. They did bad things to Genma."

Sasuke knew it was true; he belonged with Naruto, with Kakashi and with his crew.

"They will have to kill both of us to get you and then keep you," Naruto continued. "I go first, Kakashi-sensei."

They were planning a challenge and rechallenge. Whoever went first died, but this was Kisame so they both died.

"But…" objected Sasuke.

"I love you, Sasuke," Naruto told him, his voice husky with emotion.

Sasuke knew that, but Naruto had never said it. Naruto preferred actions to words.

"Naruto?" he begged, but Naruto was Naruto and nothing would keep him from fighting for him, from dying for him.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I wear our plaque?" Naruto asked.

Iruka came and stood beside Sasuke when Naruto went forward to present himself as champion. He was deathly pale and Sasuke was horribly aware that Iruka was also about to lose everything. Perhaps he did not know it yet. Perhaps it was better not to be as certain.

Shino had found Naruto's lockbox, which, typical of Naruto, was unlocked. Shikamaru was waiting with the key for Naruto's collar. Sasuke opened the lid of the box. It contained the plaque and a scatter of mementos that Naruto had collected since joining the crew. Sasuke lifted the plaque from the box and shut the lid as Naruto walked back to him.

Shikamaru unlocked Naruto's controller, altered its setting and then handed the collar and key to Sasuke. Naruto and Shikamaru briefly touched foreheads; Sasuke realised that they were saying goodbye.

Deep inside, Sasuke screamed denial.

Then Shikamaru moved away, taking Iruka with him. They were alone.

Sasuke stepped close to fasten the collar and plaque around Naruto's neck. Naruto took a deep breath and Sasuke knew that Naruto was scenting him. He stroked Naruto's skin: tan and warm with its faint suggestion of golden fur. Naruto caught his hand and drew it upwards, turning it to expose the underside of his wrist. The touch of his lips was gentle, gentle like Naruto. Sasuke wanted the moment to last forever.

Only it could not: Naruto had a challenge to answer.

Naruto was fast; he moved so quickly that Sasuke could not decipher one movement before he was into the next. Naruto would dart in, strike and be gone. It was amazing to watch but it was having minimal effect on Kisame; a few superficial cuts from which Kisame bled little.

Then Kisame moved. Bones snapped but Naruto escaped and Kisame was bleeding from a slice across his implant.

Sasuke's heart hammered. Naruto's left arm was useless: the beginning of the end.

During Naruto's next attack Kisame caught him and bit him on the shoulder. Naruto's head lolled back and he gave one small whimper.

Kisame lifted Naruto above his head. From somewhere, unbidden, came the knowledge that this was the start of Kisame's signature move; the way he killed.

_Naruto helpless and flailing. Kisame positioning himself for the killer blow. Naruto suddenly submissive and still. Fearful blue eyes frantically searching. Their gazes connecting. Sasuke was there for him; there for Naruto._

_Naruto. I love you, Naruto._

Kisame moved and eye contact was lost. Sasuke was spilled back into reality. He saw Itachi's face: the revolting spectacle of his pleasure. Sasuke hated this person his brother had become.

Loathed him.

Utterly.

Then, unbelievably, Naruto was free and twisting though the air. There was the familiar sound of him landing: the sight of him running and leaping. Suddenly, Kisame's chest was exposed to Naruto's blade and there was the sound of a knife in flesh. Naruto pushed the knife home and was engulfed by Kisame's arms.

Kisame on the floor with the hilt of the Naruto's knife protruding from his chest.

Naruto standing: alive.

* * *

Rin reached Naruto first in her role as medico. Sasuke was second, his left hand seeking Naruto's right, their fingers interleaving. Naruto was looking at Kisame's body.

"He let me win," he whispered, "so you didn't have to go with Him."

They both knew whom Naruto meant by Him: Itachi.

Kisame, the most devoted and loyal of Companions, had chosen Sasuke over Itachi.

Sasuke was puzzled but discovered he was not surprised. Instead there was the memory of Kisame hiding him during the chaos that was becoming a massacre; making him promise to stay hidden no matter who called him, telling him that bad men could make themselves sound like anyone, even Kisame, even Itachi.

Itachi. What would he do without Kisame? Kisame had been with him for so long. Sasuke found himself compelled to check his brother's expression. It showed fury, with no trace of loss or grief. He made no move where his Companion lay, not even when others from his crew began hauling at Kisame-san's body as if it were a hunk of meat.

Instead Itachi moved towards the other crew's cat, now the Silver Leaf's cat.

As always, his movements were mesmerisingly graceful. The boy was remarkably pretty, almost girlish. It turned Sasuke's stomach to see his fear as Itachi approached him, grasped him and pushed him in the direction of the winning crew.

Sasuke was looking away, back to Naruto, when he glimpsed the flash of Itachi's knife. Sasuke watched, frozen with horror; two strokes and the obscenity was done. The boy slid across the floor towards Jiraiya.

The boy lay with his throat cut and a red flower blooming across his midriff. Exactly as Sasuke's mother had laid. The same stain on her abdomen. Precisely the same wound to the neck: the same placement; the same angle; the same variation in depth.

The bad man had called for him to come out, exactly as Kisame had warned. He had sounded like Itachi.

It had been Itachi. Itachi was the bad man.

Fury boiled up from deep within Sasuke's being. Itachi would die. He would die knowing that Sasuke was responsible for his death. He would avenge his mother, and Kisame-san and the boy.

He looked for him but Itachi had gone, fled like the coward he had become, or always had been. One of his crewmates was chasing him. Sasuke went to follow but Naruto had his hand and Naruto did not move.

"I need you here," he said.

And Sasuke let Itachi go, for now, so that he could be there for Naruto.

* * *

Rin had abandoned Naruto, diving down beside the boy. Iruka and Shikamaru were opposite and beside her, following her instructions.

The pool of blood grew around them as they worked. Then, finally, it spread out but no longer increased in volume.

Rin moved from first aid to surgery. Iruka was pumping blood out of Shikamaru's body and into the boy. Sasuke felt Naruto squeezing his hand.

"Remind me of this," Naruto murmured, "next time Rin-san is being annoying."

The remainder of the Morning Mist's crew stood there watching them work on the boy, locked into indecision by shame and incomprehension, until Jiraiya stepped forward.

"We accept your reparation," he announced. "We also wish you to do us the honour of allowing us to deal with Kisame-san's body. Long ago we were his comrades. We can sing much of his song."

"That is… …generous of you," their captain replied.

"We recommend that you terminate any relationship with the traitor Itachi," continued Jiraiya.

"We have already reached the same conclusion," Raiga agreed. He stood for a moment and then decided. "We will find you two hover platforms, so you can transport the bodies. The boy's name is Haku."


	22. Old and new

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you to readers who have left a review. They are very much appreciated._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

22. Old and new

* * *

They did not ask the Morning Mist's crew how they had obtained the hover platforms or if they should be returned. It was easier to treat them as a gift. Jiraiya knew that Raiga and his crew considered themselves lucky to be escaping the encounter alive. The old Uchiha would have responded to the tainted challenge by eliminating the crew.

One problem with the old Uchiha was that it had produced more Itachis than Obitos. It never had, or could have, produced a Sasuke.

Jiraiya watched Sasuke and Naruto walking towards the ship: they had not let go of each other since the combat. It was a good sign. Jiraiya had expected Sasuke to react more extremely to Itachi's unexpected reappearance, either retreating into denial or exploding into frenzy. Seeing his fox-boy on the edge of death had helped him keep a sense of proportion.

Jiraiya allowed himself a slight shudder. Sasuke might be robust enough to encounter Itachi, but he had a long way to go before he would cope with losing Naruto.

"Is he stable, Rin-san?" he asked, looking at boy lying on hover platform who had taken the brunt of Itachi's ire.

"I will be much happier when he is tanked," Rin replied. "It is too early to say if he will recover consciousness or if there will be any permanent damage."

"Perhaps, when the boy is tanked and you have seen to Naruto-san's injuries, you could spare a moment to examine Kisame-san," he suggested.

Those within earshot turned to stare at him or at the shark-man's body on the other platform. Rin dropped back from the side of one hover platform to the other.

"I do not even know how or where to look for a pulse," she admitted.

"We wait until we are safely inside," insisted Kakashi. "I think Naruto must have hit his heart. Otherwise I cannot imagine a single blow taking him down."

"It didn't," Jiraiya informed them. "If the damage crosses a threshold level, he plays dead. It is not a conscious decision. It is Kisame's equivalent of Naruto's berserk. You never saw it, Kakashi, because no one ever landed a near mortal blow."

"He's alive then?" queried Shikamaru from where he was riding on the edge of the boy's platform, his skin white-grey from giving so much blood.

"Probably, unless Naruto made a direct hit to his heart," answered Jiraiya.

"And Itachi knows?" asked Sasuke.

Jiraiya studied the youngster's face, trying to deduce what answer he would prefer. "Yes."

"Is that why you asked for his body?" Tsunade checked.

"Yes. I feared that they would dispose of him without Itachi there to stop them."

Once inside, Rin insisted that Naruto go with her to the infirmary to be placed in a dia-doc tank. Jiraiya enjoyed watching the lovers share a tender kiss before parting.

Sasuke waited until Naruto was out of sight and then scowled at them. "Jiraiya, Kakashi, we need to talk," he stated.

They used the tiny cabin that had become, unofficially, Sasuke's office. It could not be his office because neither cats nor crew had cabins or offices. However, it was here where he kept the things he had asked brought from the Uchiha compound and where they talked Uchiha rather than ship's business. On the wall was the Uchiha fan.

Sasuke sat but left them standing. There was silence. "One of you should start explaining," he suggested.

"I was told that it was Hiruzen-sama's decision," began Jiraiya. "Apparently he said that all you had were your memories of your family and that they should not be ruined by telling you about Itachi."

"And neither of you thought that it would be a good idea to tell me once I started spacing? Before he turned up and started killing people?" Sasuke asked.

"Hiruzen-sama has had information and extermination contracts out on him since he went missing," Jiraiya told him. "There was only the odd rumour and no confirmed sightings. We hoped he were dead."

"Without Kisame he soon will be," Kakashi added.

"Rin hates him," Sasuke observed.

Jiraiya grimaced. "Itachi behaved badly when we came to Tarrasade for the singing of Obito's song. Rin is not renowned for her forgiving nature."  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kakashi flinch at the memory.

"Old man!" Sasuke scolded, immediately on his feet at Kakashi's side.

Jiraiya watched him guiding his sensei to a seat and finding him some water. He even added a splash of whisky. Jiraiya took advantage of an off-hand gesture which could be interpreted as an invitation to sit, but decided that it would be imprudent to ask for whisky.

Sasuke sighed. "Was I the only one who liked him?" he murmured.

"Itachi could be charming," Kakashi said suddenly. "It was easy to like him. If he had not been under so much pressure to excel, if no more had been expected of him than was expected of Obito, he might have coped. Instead he was repeatedly forced beyond his limits and we discovered, to our cost, that he was fragile."

"Everyone says that he loved you, Sasuke," Jiraiya insisted, "a little brother to whom he could show affection without fearing your father's disapproval."

"He killed our mother," Sasuke said, dully.

So he had worked it out. "Your mother," Jiraiya clarified. "Mikoto-san did not join your father's household until two standards before you were born.

"Itachi did not have a mother; he had a series of nursemaids. When Fugaku-kyou was finally persuaded to have another son, he resolved not to make the same mistakes again. He married the most charming and delightful Uchiha woman of her generation. He allowed her to transform his household into a wonderful place for a child to be raised. He even agreed that he would minimise his interaction with you, in light of the damage he had done Itachi.

"Mikoto-san tried very hard with Itachi but it was difficult for him to respond. His life improved immeasurably but he saw everyone making your childhood perfect when his had been loveless and harsh."

Sasuke finally understood, "I was never a spare," he whispered. "I was Itachi's replacement."

Jiraiya decided that this was the moment. Better now, with them there, than Sasuke realise in the dead of night. "The massacre happened the day before your eighth birth anniversary…"

"No, old man!" Kakashi objected but it was too late. Sasuke could not help but see it.

"He was going to disinherit Itachi and declare me heir. That is why every full-blood Uchiha had been called home. He was going to make them swear to me. He was going to force Itachi to swear to me." Sasuke laughed and it was not a good sound. "I thought I was going to swear to Itachi. I was so excited."

Jiraiya watched Kakashi go to him, hold him. Kakashi was so much more of a father to him than Fugaku-kyou had been capable of being.

"We think your mother went against your father's wishes and decided to tell Itachi what was going to happen," Jiraiya told him. "She thought she was being kind, trying to prepare him so that he could behave appropriately."

Jiraiya could imagine it: Fugaku-kyou's plan to tell Itachi in the presence of every Uchiha bodyguard, who by weight of numbers could overpower even Kisame; Mikoto-san telling Itachi when the two of them were alone and becoming the victim of his reaction. Once he had killed Mikoto, Itachi had crossed into territory from which there was no return.

"I have had enough," Sasuke admitted. "I will go to the infirmary and check on Naruto."

Kakashi insisted on walking with him. Sasuke was grateful for the silent companionship. He was feeling sorry for Itachi and he resented it. At best Itachi was a dangerous psychotic and, as such, should be terminated.

Damn Jiraiya and his mission to produce a wise Uchiha. Uchiha were proud and easy to offend. They overreacted to every slight to their honour. They did not understand people. They were, in essence, feral. Between Jiraiya and Shikamaru, the new Uchiha was in danger of being depressingly logical and civilised.

Then Sasuke thought of Naruto and smiled. Perhaps not all that civilised.

The new infirmary had seemed unnecessarily large but four patients made it barely adequate. Shikamaru was receiving a blood transfusion. He was already looking better and made some joke about being Rin's portable blood bank. The boy, Haku, was tanked with various 'bots creeping over his skin or working on his wounds. Kisame's body was in the new dia-doc tank and Naruto was in the old; the same tank Ibiki had put him in on that first day.

"Will he have to stay in it long?" Sasuke asked.

Rin actually smiled at him. "He asked the same. No, we have supergens but I needed to run a full diagnostic to check we have not missed anything. Another two-hundred minutes at the most."

"And Kisame-san?" he asked.

"The old man was right, he isn't dead. His metabolic rate is so low that I can barely measure it. The heart wall was damaged but not breached. I have no idea when he will wake up."

Sasuke nodded. "Please inform Jiraiya or Kakashi if he shows signs of waking. Also, please inform me when you are planning on waking Naruto."

Rin frowned. "There will another forty minutes of treatment once Naruto is awake, applying the supergens. I will contact you when we are close to finishing that."

"No, you will inform me when you are planning on waking him from the tank," Sasuke told her.

Rin opened her mouth to argue but capitulated. "Yes, Sasuke-san."

"And, Rin-san, thank you for the brilliant and exemplary work you have done this day."

Rin coloured slightly. "It is my job, Sasuke-san."

"No, Rin-san, it is amazing talent supported by extraordinary expertise. I am honoured that you chose to join the new Uchiha." Sasuke meant what he said but he also knew the effect of voicing it. He was not the only one, Sasuke was keenly aware of Shikamaru's expression. "Rin-san, Shikamaru-san," he said as he took his leave.

"Sasuke-sama," Shikamaru acknowledged.

Sasuke went to the crew room. As he had hoped, there were people in the galley: Ibiki, Shino, Iruka and Kakashi. He sat at the table and accepted a cup of tea from Iruka.

Iruka was pottering, doing small tasks that usually Sasuke would do. He offered to help and was told to drink his tea. A plate of biscuits appeared and was empty before its base hit the tabletop.

"We did miss our midmeal, Iruka-san," Ibiki reminded him.

"And I thought you had all raided the galley to compensate," Iruka replied. "It certainly looked as if you had. Sasu-kun, you have spoken to Rin-san, how many do you anticipate for the meal this evening?"

"The usual number, Iruka-sensei. Rin-san intends fitting Naruto with supergens and Shikamaru looked fine. I suppose Rin-san may decide to stay in the infirmary in order to keep an eye on our guests."

"Rin-san can have a tray if that is necessary," Iruka agreed. He sighed. "Very well, who would like some soup to tide them over until their evening meal?"

Sasuke was sipping his soup, musing on the rather odd thought that his mother would have approved of Iruka, when a call came though from Rin. His first thought was that Naruto was coming out of the tank early, but Rin-san sounded stressed and was asking for Kakashi and Jiraiya.

Kakashi indicated that Sasuke should go with him and Sasuke apologised to Iruka for abandoning the soup half eaten.

Kisame-san was awake. By the time they arrived he was towelling away the residue of the gel and informing Rin that she was welcome to treat the wound in his chest but that the treatment needed to be brief and its result portable.

Sasuke gave in to the urge to hug him. The nap of the shark-man's skin, sandpaper rough one way and silky smooth the other, was a sensation from his childhood. The huge man held him gently.

"Sasu-chan."

"I had just realised you were alive and then you were dead again," Sasuke complained. "You almost killed Naruto," he accused.

"I was slow realising what he meant to you," Kisame admitted.

"He wears my plaque," Sasuke reminded him.

"I wear a plaque, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke understood. Itachi did not care for Kisame as he did for Naruto. "I apologise, Kisame-san. I know how hard it is for you to go against Itachi's wishes. Thank you, both for this time and before."

"Please never mention the other time," Kisame asked. "He believes that this was the first time. As it is, there is a possibility he will not forgive me."

Kakashi snorted. "As if he could live without you. I assume you know where to find him."

"I will tell you nothing," Kisame warned him.

"We know that," Jiraiya said from the hatchway. "Are you sure you want to do this, Kisame?"

Kisame touched his plaque and shrugged. He looked towards the boy in the tank. "I can usually stop him, but I have to be there. There are good times, when he is calm and in control."

"And Genma?" Kakashi asked.

Kisame looked away. "As I said, I have to be there. He slipped away from me. I am sorry, Kakashi-san."

"If you outlive him…" Jiraiya began.

"I will not outlive him, Jiraiya-san," Kisame stated. There was a silence. "What do you have for me before I leave, Rin-san?" he asked.

* * *

Sasuke could see that Naruto was exhausted. So could Iruka. The two of them tried to persuade him to sleep rather than attending the evening meal but Naruto was determined to sit at the table with the rest of the crew.

Sasuke understood how he felt. This was their home; their family.

Everyone watched Naruto eating one handed, the whole of his left arm and shoulder encased in supergens, thinking about what had so nearly happened. The flow of the conversation avoided that Naruto had almost died and that they had met Sasuke's mad killer brother.

They did talk about Haku, which started them telling Shino and Rin about the day Naruto had been tossed into their lives.

After the meal Naruto and Sasuke sat together on one of the couches for a short time until Iruka sent them to bed.

Naruto lay on his stomach while Sasuke ran his hands and his body over the gold-tinted skin. Naruto made small noises of sleepy contentment that faded into whispery snores.

Sasuke lay beside him, stroking his hair, trying to focus on the better parts of the day, including this one.


	23. Haku

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

**Story warning: There are male/male relationships in this story**

**Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by ********oo*****oo**

* * *

**23. Haku**

* * *

Shikamaru, Shino and Ibiki sat in the galley. They were playing a children's card game that Shino had taught them. They had chosen it because the game was mostly random chance, meaning that Shikamaru did not win immediately or have to pretend to lose.

Unfortunately, games based purely on m chance were not particularly engaging or challenging so they had started to gamble on the outcomes, running the risk of having to endure Iruka's 'dangers of gambling' lecture if he caught them. They played with half an eye on the crew room.

Shino froze halfway through a move at the all-too familiar sound of Sasuke's pre-orgasmic gasping.

"By the Lady, not again," Ibiki groaned. "We have to make sure Naruto never, ever has a near death experience again. All those boys have done since Farrellez is fuck."

The slightest suggestion of a deep-throated growl joined the gasping.

Shikamaru slumped. "It's going to be one of those."

"We could sound one of the alarms," suggested Shino.

Shikamaru guessed he was joking. It was often difficult to tell.

"We might be able to get Iruka to run some drills," Ibiki replied.

"Not this time," Shikamaru said, gesturing in the direction of Iruka and Kakashi's bunk.

A brief gap in the gasping and growling revealed sounds confirming that Iruka and Kakashi were similarly engaged.

Shino and Shikamaru grinned at each other. Shino dashed to raid their secret stash of whisky while Shikamaru produced the gambling chips. Ibiki swept away the cards and produced dice.

"Should we get Jiraiya or Rin?" Shino asked.

"Not Jiraiya," Shikamaru advised; he was almost sure that the old pervert had a camera in the young lovers' bunk and would be enjoying the live show. "Rin may appreciate being invited."

"I'll call her," Ibiki volunteered.

Rin was bad at dice but remarkably able to consume huge quantities of whisky without any ill effects. Shikamaru suspected she had nanobots programmed to keep her blood alcohol from going over a threshold. Shikamaru was brilliant at dice but his judgement began to go off after a few drinks. Shino was consistently mediocre and drank steadily. Ibiki drank very fast and then had to be constantly reminded not to start singing, even if Iruka was unlikely to hear it over the crescendo of sound from Sasuke and Naruto, particularly when distracted by Kakashi.

They did pause for Sasuke's climax, it seemed rude not to.

What they did not expect was for Sasuke to pad into the galley wearing nothing but the white silk shirt they had bought on Tarrasade, which was technically long enough to be decent but made him look a thousand times more fuckable than if he had been naked.

He smiled dreamily at them and began collecting provisions, doubtlessly to sustain him and Naruto through another session. Shikamaru found himself watching Shino trying not to come in his pants because it was less stressful than looking at Sasuke. There was the sound of a chair being moved and Shikamaru froze momentarily at the mental picture of Sasuke climbing up on the chair to get something from one of the top cupboards. There was a good chance Shino would pop a blood vessel or, worse, lay a hand on Naruto's Sasuke.

They were rescued by Rin, who hopped up on the chair before Sasuke could do so.

"Let me get that for you, sweetie," she said, "otherwise these boys are going to have heart attacks."

Shikamaru found himself incapable of not looking at Sasuke's reaction. The initial scowl at the pet name was chased away by a mind-blowingly gorgeous flush of embarrassment.

He heard Shino groan, or maybe it was him, or Ibiki, or all of them. Rin quickly loaded everything into a basket, pushed it into Sasuke's hands and guided him towards the door.

"Damn it, you three, remember who he is," she complained as she sat back down at the table.

"You called him 'sweetie'," Shikamaru retorted.

"Did I? At least I didn't give him a eyes-only version of a gang bang."

Shino made an incoherent noise, drained his glass, filled it and drained it again.

"What gang bang?" Iruka asked icily from the doorway.

So they had to sit through the 'dangers of gambling' and the 'dangers of alcohol' lectures delivered by an Iruka who had his hair down and was wearing only loose silk pyjama pants that looked like they would yield their tenuous hold on his hips with the slightest of tugs.

Then, as Shino and Shikamaru were tidying up the galley, Sasuke and Naruto started on what was obviously going to be the main performance. You could always tell because Naruto howled as well as growled.

"At least that means Sasuke won't make another appearance," Shikamaru heard himself saying, "'cos they'll be fixed together by Naruto's knot until morning."

Shino made a noise that could best be described as a strangled grunt.

"Forget I said that," Shikamaru suggested. "69? But you have to take your lenses out."

Shino finally found some words. "69. But you have to let your hair down and wear lipstick."

Shikamaru usually drew a line at the lipstick, but it had been a tough evening. "I choose the colour and, I am telling you now, it will not be red."

Shino looked hopeful, "Pink?"

* * *

"Maybe we should try decanting Haku," Rin suggested to Iruka the next morning.

Iruka frowned, "We have discussed this. We decided to be cautious and give him an extra ten days in the tank. It is a long haul to the next drop and if he doesn't fit in fifteen days is a long time. It makes more sense to decant him three days before drop."

"Ten days is a very long time," argued Rin. "I think they will include a number of days like yesterday. In the end, someone will fuck with someone they shouldn't and we will live with the fallout for standards or end up losing someone. You didn't see them looking at Sasuke yesterday."

"I saw Sasuke going back to his bunk. I can imagine," Iruka admitted. "Also, it is many standards since men have looked at me the way those three did last night. It was as disturbing as it was complimentary."

Rin grinned, "You looked great, Iruka. Even I fancied a taste."

Iruka tried to scowl. "Don't start, Rin."

* * *

Haku looked at the woman with the medico tattoos and the plain spacer with a scar across the bridge of his nose. He was very grateful, and more than a little surprised, to be alive. He had known that he was in deep, deep trouble as soon as Kisame-san let the amazing blond win.

He had hoped that Za-chan had taken the opportunity to kill Itachi-san while Kisame-san was not there to stop him, therefore doing the entire world a favour.

"Good day, Haku-kun," the plain spacer began. "I am Iruka and I am queen on the Silver Leaf."

That was a surprise, queens were usually more visually arresting. Few were beautiful but most presented themselves so noone could overlook them. This spacer, Iruka, must be very confident of his status to risk looking so ordinary. "Good day, Iruka-san," Haku replied.

"This is Rin, she is our medico and it is she who managed to keep you alive and help you mend."

"Good day, Rin-san. I thank you."

"Good day, Haku-kun. You are welcome. If you have any pain or problems, you must tell me."

Haku's fingers went to his neck. He could feel a slight ridge and briefly wished for a mirror.

"Have you catted on any ships other than the Morning Mist?" the queen asked.

"I was not the cat," Haku answered. "I was with Zabuza-san. I am always with Zabuza-san. We have been on four different ships together."

That worried the queen and the medico.

"You were offered to us as reparation, as if you were a cat," the queen reminded him.

Haku wanted to ask if Za-chan had asked for him back, but was too frightened of the possible answers. "I wish to be with Zabuza-san," he stated. "I belong with Zabuza-san."

The queen took a deep breath. "Haku-kun, you needed to be with us. Other ships do not have a medico as skilled a Rin-san, or an infirmary as well equipped as this. You were very badly injured."

That was interesting. The man cared. He was acting as if he understood.

"Zabuza-san will be there when this ship returns to its registered homeport," Haku told them with confidence. "That is our arrangement if we are separated. The registered homeport of this ship is Tarrasade. Zabuza-san will be on Tarrasade. Until we reach Tarrasade, I will behave as your cat, if that is what you wish. I behaved as a cat on the Morning Mist and the other ships. I have an appropriate repertoire of catting skills. However, I was not the cat. I was with Zabuza-san."

Haku was struck by a terrible thought. If Za-chan had to challenge for him he would not be able to defeat the amazing blond or the man Itachi-san called the skinny scarecrow.

"I will be acting as your cat," he clarified. "I will not be your cat. I will be free to go with Zabuza-san when we dock at Tarrasade."

"He's a cocky little thing," the medico murmured.

"I will put your proposal to our Captain," he queen informed him. "That proposal is that you will be our acting cat until we dock at Tarrasade. In the meantime, how would you like some food and perhaps to meet some other members of the crew?"

"No, Iruka-san, I would like access to a head and a shower and your closet." Haku considered. "Please," he added.

The queen had assigned the cat-who-was-not-a-cat to accompany him. Haku was slightly interested that they were both cats-who-were-not-cats, but more concerned that this was the brother of Itachi-san.

He was beautiful. It was the type of beauty that did not need cosmetics or artful clothing. Haku was more than a little jealous. He decided to play for an advantage, in case he should need it.

"Itachi-san used to make me dress up as you," Haku told him. "He bought me contacts to make my eyes the right colour. I would dye my hair darker and make it glossy. I would wear mascara and change the shape of my lips."

It worked. All the colour drained from Itachi-san's brother's face. It was perhaps a little too successful, as he walked away.

There again, that left Haku free to investigate the potential of the closet in more depth. He was not alone long. This time it was slim spacer of medium height, with all of his very dark hair tied up and intense brown eyes that pretended disinterest.

This one was unattached and therefore it was important that Haku work out how to please him.

He turned out to be very easy to please, responding so enthusiastically to Haku's hints that Haku took pity on him.

******oo*****oo**

He had taken down the young spacer's hair and was investigating his preferences for mouth-to-mouth contact when Iruka's voice sliced across them.

"Shikamaru! We do not fuck in the closet. Haku-kun is not even confirmed as acting cat. I want to see both of you in the galley. Now!" He stomped away, calling for Itachi-san's brother.

"I apologise for getting you into trouble, Shikamaru-san," he whispered.

"It was worth it, Haku-kun," the young spacer assured him and hugged him.

It was nice.

When he arrived at the galley Iruka-san, Haku found that he no longer thought of him as 'the queen', was still reprimanding Itachi-san's brother for leaving him and Shikamaru-san for unauthorised fucking. This was despite the time Haku had spent in the head and dressing, so Haku suspected Iruka-san was an expert at making young spacers squirm.

This pleased him. Spacing could be so very boring, but this was developing into a potentially interesting situation. Also, if Shikamaru-san was to judge by, they were very clean. Haku liked clean.

HiHis appearance caused Iruka-san to lose the thread of what he was saying. This was satisfying. Haku knew he was talented at making himself look attractive and the resources in the closet, while obviously under-utilised by the current crew, were far greater than those with which he usually worked.

Iruka-san rallied.

"Now does not mean fifteen minutes, Haku-kun. Now means within five minutes, preferably within two minutes," he told him. "However, you look very nice. It is good to see someone making an effort."

Nice was not the effect Haku had intended. He checked Shikamaru-san's expression and decided that, yes, he had judged it correctly. He would have to investigate the parameters of Iruka-san's 'nice'.

* * *

The afternoon of the next day, after being confirmed as acting cat, Haku sat perched on one of the stools in Shikamaru-san's lab.

"You are sure Iruka-sensei does not know you are here?" Shikamaru-san asked him.

"Yes, he thinks I am still working in the closet but I finished everything this morning. Iruka-san is with the Captain. Itachi-san's brother may not like me but he will not tell Iruka-san that I was not in the closet."

"It would be better if you called him Sasuke, Haku-kun. Itachi is not Sasuke-san's favourite person. Itachi murdered their whole family, including Sasuke's mother."

Haku was not surprised.

"I will think about not referring to him as Itachi-san's brother," he conceded.

"Thank you. Now, what did you want to talk about?"

"The crew and the Captain. You were cat here. You have been crew here since. You can save me time and prevent me making errors."

Shikamaru-san nodded, "Go for it, Haku-kun."

Haku produced a small notebook and a pencil. "Ibiki-san?"

"Lonely. He'll want you to ride on his prick and suck him. He'll be too scared of hurting you to take control. Don't talk too much. I made that mistake."

"Shino-san?"

"Lipstick. Red lipstick, not that I can imagine you wearing anything so slutty. Likes blowjobs. More generous than you would expect. Don't know much more."

It was more that Haku had expected, given the short time Shino-san had been in the crew. "Jiraiya-san?"

"Major pervert. Voyeur. Blowjobs and only from cats. Will critique your technique. Is in a off-ship fucking relationship with the Captain that no one ever mentions."

Haku had suspected there was something between them. "Kakashi-san?"

"Don't touch, Haku-kan. Seriously. Don't even flirt. You don't want Iruka as an enemy."

Haku nodded. "Iruka-san?"

"You'll get a lecture about inappropriate relationships. Probably a long one. Iruka only wants Kakashi."

"Rin-san?"

"No idea. She's sweet on Kakashi, she knew him ages ago, but he was with the great love of his life then."

"Not Iruka-san?" Haku checked.

"No, Obito, Sasuke and Itachi's cousin. Don't mention him. He's dead and Kakashi blames himself. Back to Rin. I had a thing about her and offered, but she never took me up on it. No idea what she does to compensate for not fucking. You got any experience with women?"

"No," Haku admitted.

"I looked after the Captain for three standards. I'll give you some pointers if you need them. The Captain may not ask. She asks Sasuke for massage but no more, he's really good at it."

Haku made a note about the Captain. "Naruto-san?"

"He won't notice. It's the way he is built. Once he started fucking Sasuke he stopped noticing anyone else that way. Don't make the mistake of seeing it as a challenge. He really, really, really isn't interested." Shikamaru waited. "Aren't you going to ask about Sasuke?"

"No," Haku told him, "I have no intention of touching Itach… …him."


	24. Running

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Reviews are and would be very welcome._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**24. Running**

* * *

Life with Haku was better than life without him. Sasuke knew that. He kept the unattached male members of the crew in a permanent state of sexual satisfaction. He was unpredictable and funny; everyone waited each morning to see his latest outfit. His guerrilla campaign against Iruka's rules was hilarious, particularly as Iruka only knew a fraction of what was actually happening. He even turned out to have a remarkable range of dirty fighting skills; Iruka was training him as a knife fighter.

The only problem was that Haku hated him and made sure Sasuke knew it. He was a master of behaviours that seemed only a little amiss to others but which wounded Sasuke deeply.

He would flirt with Naruto, describing it as training because Naruto was as immune to it as a punch bag was to a blow. Sasuke knew that it was ridiculous that he reacted to it, so he hid his reaction. The more he hid it, the more Haku flirted. Then there were the small, barbed comments, usually about how lucky he was to have Naruto and how little he deserved him.

Haku still never used Sasuke's name. Sasuke knew that, in Haku's head, he was still 'Itachi-san's brother'. Whenever the situation between them improved, or worsened to the point that it might be exposed, Haku would turn up dressed as a younger version of Sasuke, which made everyone collapse with laughter but served to remind Sasuke why Haku hated him and why he had to endure it.

Sasuke knew he was the only member of the crew who hoped that Zabuza would be at Tarrasade. Their schedule had Tarrasade a third of a standard away.

* * *

They had dropped to planet called Chanx, seeking one of the people on their list. Unexpectedly, the planet had a new and thriving trade in an innovative light speed communicator. Six ships contacted them between the jump gate and the planet, each offering more than the last for their berth.

Despite having accepted that trading was not a priority, Tsunade was twitching. She argued that not buying a hold full of communicators made them look suspicious, so they arranged some meetings and set off to keep them.

A third of the way to the first meeting Kakashi made the decision to return to the ship and lift. The city, probably the whole planet, was infested with media. There were huge holoprojections above every street, most of them running local news. There were cameras everywhere. Chanx has become a planet they needed to avoid. A few blunt words from Jiraiya reminded Tsunade of their priorities and they turned for home.

They were halfway home when the story broke on one channel and was quickly picked up by the others: the Uchiha name had that effect. They had the name of the ship, most of the crew list and were predicting Sasuke's looks at sixteen standards from illicit holos that had been taken when he was at school on Elleton.

The resulting image was uncannily accurate, so it was not surprising that the computers found moving images of them within minutes and that the presenters were promising that live coverage would soon follow.

One commentator pointed out that Sasuke was cat rather than crew, which was swiftly followed with a garbled explanation of challenges and raids. Another was speculating on just how big a ransom a kidnapper could demand.

Then the images were live and the shouting, pointing and running began. Sasuke concentrated on staying close to Naruto and Naruto to Kakashi. Sasuke looked up at the projections and realised for the first time that being protected by two such distinctive looking men could be a problem. Naruto's hair was like a beacon and the combination of Kakashi's hair colour and eye patch was little better.

Gunfire: the crowd transformed into a mob and a laser hit Naruto. He roared, snarled and dropped as his controller knocked him unconscious. Sasuke reached for him but a surge of people carried him away. Then a hand gripped his decisively and a familiar voice said, "Crouch and run, it's your only chance. Leave Naruto to Kakashi."

Haku led the way, weaving through the crowd, occasionally punching or kicking someone who blocked their path. Sasuke followed; head down, bent forward.

The crowd thinned. Sasuke risked a glance up through his hair to the projections. They were still focused on Kakashi. He and Ibiki were standing over Naruto's body, striking at anyone who attacked them.

He and Haku made it to an alley just as one of the presenters pointed out that Sasuke was no longer visible. Haku pulled him into the deepest of the doorways and produced a small, sharp knife with which he attacked the shoulder seams of Sasuke's jacket, ripping away the arms to expose the light blue, fuller sleeves of his shirt. A few minutes later their clothes and hair looked significantly different.

Haku grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Look as if you are protecting me and getting me away from the riot," he commanded.

They passed four people without incident. "It'll only work until someone suggests we may have changed our appearance." Haku told him. "Then everyone will start looking at our faces. We need an empty house or shop or apartment to find better disguises."

Sasuke's brain finally started to work. "Empty places may be alarmed. The technology level is too high."

Haku looked surprised, then nodded. "Good," he encouraged.

"Maybe an open shop? Large enough to be a bit anonymous. Hopefully everyone will be watching coverage of the riot. It's that or an occupied house."

"Both," Haku decided. "We'll pick a house, knock out and tie up the occupants. Then I'll take the gold credits you have hidden somewhere and go shopping for disguises. I'll scout at the same time."

"What if the occupants have guns?" asked Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I've seen you fight. You don't need Naruto to protect you. You can cope with some fat old guy with a gun."

"You used my name."

"I needed you to pay attention. This looks like apartments. It looks rundown enough that any security won't be working."

"Right. Let's do it. No killing anyone, Haku."

Getting through the door went as planned but the man behind it was young rather than old and he knew how to fight. Luckily his advantage of being on home territory and having a knife did not outweigh Sasuke's greater skill and Haku operating as a distraction.

As they bound his gagged body to a chair, Sasuke could not shake the impression that he looked familiar. He finished tying the knots as Haku looked around the apartment.

"Not much here," he admitted. "I'll have to go shopping."

Sasuke nodded, took off one of his boots and removed three gold credits from the heel. He added half the change from his belt purse and displayed it to Haku. "Enough?" he asked.

"Enough," Haku confirmed. He cocked his head. "Hasn't it even crossed your mind that I might be going to betray you?"

Sasuke scowled at him. "Stop playing mind games, Haku, this isn't the time."

"I want an answer," Haku demanded.

"No, I do not second guess the people I trust, which include all my crewmates, even the ones who hate me."

"I don't hate you," Haku admitted. "I hate him. I can't get to him but I can get to you."

Sasuke sighed. "Haku, hurting me doesn't hurt him."

"It would if he knew. He loves you. His beloved little brother. I should know. I had to listen to him prattle on and on about it. Nice, kind big brother when I was dressed up like you. Sadistic bastard when I was me."

Sasuke blinked. "He never fucked you when you were playing me? Or abused you?"

Haku scowled at him. "No. Not unless you count overindulgence as abuse. By the Lady, you must have liked chocolate when you were little. There were times when I thought I would throw up if I even had to see another thing made from chocolate.

"Sasuke, are you listening to me?" he demanded. "I am telling you that I hurt you to get back at Itachi-san. I have managed to separate you from the rest of the crew and I am the only one who knows where you are. I could walk out of here and sell you to the highest bidder."

"You won't," Sasuke told him.

Haku shook his head and headed for the door.

The man tied to the chair was looking at him.

"He won't," Sasuke assured him. "He's just being Haku."

He pulled up a chair and sat opposite the man. "I am very sorry about this. Something happened, and Haku and I got separated from our crew. We have to make our way back and we can't afford to trust any outsiders. It's just your bad luck that we chose your apartment. I'll arrange a credit transfer once we're back, big enough for you to get a better place. You might not want to stay here after we violated it."

Sasuke leaned forward. The man really did remind him of someone.

He moved the light from the other side of the room so that it cast more light on the man's face. He was younger than Sasuke had thought, probably about Shikamaru's age. His hair was very dark and very straight and cropped about two fingers' width from his scalp in a truly appalling haircut. His skin was very pale and his eyes were unmatched. One was brown and Sasuke could see that it contained a coloured contact lens. The other was a pale shade of lavender-grey.

"You're a Hyuga," he accused.

The young man flushed pink and shook his head. That reaction alone was enough to convince Sasuke he was correct.

"So if I went and studied the street and the doorway to this building and the stairway and the landing outside this apartment I would not find the subtle marks that made us choose this apartment rather than another? That 'bring good luck to your door' ritual you all use?"

The young man was very, very still.

Sasuke thought fast. A Hyuga on his own, with his hair hacked off and coloured contact lenses, eking out an existence in a crappy apartment. Something had gone very wrong.

Hyugas only spaced on Hyuga ships. Otherwise they stayed on Hyuga planets. It was possible to hire a Hyuga, provided one was rich enough, but their primary loyalty was always to their race. Decision made, he looked the young man directly in his strange, lavender-grey eyes.

"I know about Hyuga for two reasons. Firstly, there was a Hyuga on my father's staff when I was a child. Secondly, there were a few Hyuga at the school I briefly attended, one of whom I got to know." He leaned forward and pulled down the man's gag.

"I am not Hyuga," the young man stated. "The Hyuga have no claim on me."

This was becoming more and more interesting. "You never took the oath of loyalty?" he checked.

"No."

That meant his break with the Hyuga went back to before he reached adolescence. "So you were never trained?"

The young man hesitated. "I never completed formal training."

So someone had trained him. The hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck stood up. An unsworn Hyuga; what a prize. He caught a hint of the young man's reaction. Damn Hyuga and their ability to read every subtlety of human behaviour. It was like having someone in your head.

"All those childhood tales," he admitted. "You know. The ones y… …the Hyuga put out so that rich powerful people don't hesitate to sign away chunks of their fortunes away just to have a Hyuga in their household for a couple of years. Add in that I am a spacer, so always after the best deal, and I can't help but be interested."

The young man smiled slightly. "An admirable save," he observed.

Sasuke waited.

"Your crewmate, Haku. He is conflicted."

"I know."

"I know you know. The way you handled him, the utter faith you displayed to him, no Hyuga could have advised a better course." The young man looked at him. "You have been raised to lead. Probably from birth."

Sasuke remembered what Jiraiya had told him. "From one and one third standards pre-conception," he admitted.

The young man's lips quirked slightly into the most fleeting of smiles. "It was still a risk, letting him go alone."

"I know." This was the moment, Sasuke recognised it. "My name is Sasuke. I am Sasuke Uchiha."

The young man's eyes widened slightly at the name. "I am Neji," he replied.


	25. Here

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**25. Here**

* * *

Naruto woke in the infirmary knowing that something was very wrong. He remembered a searing pain in his shoulder, flipping and his collar felling him. The last thing he remembered were strangers coming between him and Sasuke.

He sat bolt upright. "Sasuke! Where's Sasuke?"

Iruka jumped from the stool on which he had been sitting. "Naru-kun, try to be calm."

Iruka-sensei wouldn't be sitting with him unless it was something bad. "Is he hurt?" Naruto demanded. "Is he de…?" he could not bring himself to say it.

"We don't know," Iruka admitted. "We lost him and Haku."

Naruto stared at him. They had brought home his unconscious body but not Sasuke? He heard himself growling.

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice was like a slap but Naruto was in no mood to accept it. He was up, prowling, and as soon as he was upright he knew they were in space. Purebred humans might not be able to tell the difference between the ship's grav and a planet's pull, but Naruto could.

"We lifted without him?" he snarled, not caring that Iruka was backing away from him.

"We didn't have a choice, Naruto."

Naruto was out of the door and seeking Kakashi.

Kakashi had seen Naruto berserk but never angry. Fury tensed the youngster's whole body and boiled below the surface of his eyes. Kakashi fingered the activator in his pocket, loath to use it but prepared.

Naruto listened to their explanation and watched the video Shino had captured. He was forced to accept that they had made the best of a bad choice. Better them in space with Sasuke lost in the city than Sasuke lost in the city and the ship destroyed along with everyone in it. The port authorities had stopped being reasonable when the mob breached the perimeter.

They had no chance of being allowed to land again until the media frenzy died down. That was not going to happen soon. The media were fixated on finding Sasuke Uchiha, whom they were convinced was hiding in the city.

It took a direct order from the Captain for Naruto to return to the infirmary. He was fitted with another supergen, albeit only a limpet. At least Rin kept her mouth shut; Naruto was in no mood to talk. All he could think of was how wrong it felt to be separate from Sasuke when his every instinct was to protect him.

He could do nothing. None of his skills were relevant. He found himself in the crew room without remembering walking there. Iruka was watching him from the galley but Naruto refused to accept even the smallest sliver of comfort. He went toward his, their, bunk but the smell of Sasuke was too much for him to bear. There were few places where he could be certain to be left alone. He chose the shower.

He was here and Sasuke was there. Sasuke was in danger and Naruto was stuck in orbit. At best he was alone or with Haku and hiding. Worst… …there were too many options. A loose cat claimed by a crew and used. Taken by kidnappers. Passed on from group to group as currency. Pulled apart by a mob. Killed because someone wanted the notoriety of killing the last Uchiha.

He could not even die for him. He had to be with him to die for him.

Shikamaru had been helping Shino monitor the media but the constant repetition of trivia had worn through his tolerance. He checked on Rin in the infirmary and found her doing unnecessary maintenance on one of the tanks. Ibiki was running security checks. People were taking refuge in routine tasks to distract them from frustration. If Sasuke were here he would be scrubbing something. There again, if Sasuke were here they would be gathered in the galley discussing one more near miss of many. Shikamaru wasn't good at routine, for distraction purposes or otherwise. He reluctantly made his way to the crew room to find Iruka pacing in the galley, frantic about Naruto, who had been in the shower for eighty minutes.

"He won't come out, Shika-kun," Iruka told him. "He won't open the door and he won't answer me. I can hear the shower running."

Shikamaru squeezed his arm. "You go to Kakashi. He needs you to be there for him."

Iruka hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Shikamaru didn't try calling through the door; Naruto was even less likely to answer him than he was Iruka. A few minutes work and the lock yielded. He opened the door cautiously.

Naruto was standing with his hands braced against the opposite wall, head down, with the water pounding on the nape of his neck. Shikamaru swallowed. Naruto had changed hugely from the cute, compact fox-box who had bounced into their lives. Before him was a broad back, narrow hips and long, elegant limbs. Golden hair shone against tan skin: the lightest of sheens on his upper body but more pronounced on his legs and across the taut curves of his rump.

"Na-chan?" Shikamaru queried. "Naruto?" He stepped into the shower, reached forward, touched skin…

…and faced death. Slammed into the wall, pinned and with Naruto's fangs on his neck.

Shikamaru felt the points breaking his skin before Naruto froze and inhaled. "Shi-chan?"

Naruto opened his jaws, pulled back his head and crashed into reality. Shikamaru's skin was completely colourless, even his lips. Blood trickled from four puncture wounds on his neck. Naruto could smell the scent of fresh urine. He had nearly killed his best friend. He slowly released his hold and guided Shikamaru's collapse to the floor. Naruto propped him against the wall and crouched facing him, a hand on his friend's leg. He waited. Slowly a touch of colour returned to Shikamaru's lips. His breathing settled.

"Na-chan," he said, "turn off the shower."

Naruto sprang to obey. When he returned to Shikamaru's side, his friend was trying, but failing, to undo the fastenings of his clothes. Naruto's hands hovered as his eyes begged permission. Shikamaru nodded. Naruto quickly and efficiently stripped off the wet clothes. Carefully, he washed the blood and piss from Shikamaru's skin.

The sensation of the sponge on his skin and the warmth of the water helped. Shikamaru's body was slowly coming back from a place he never wished to visit again, a place where his mind no longer worked because of the terror. He watched the enigma that was Naruto, so gentle and so violent, so caring and so lethal. This was his best friend. He refused to be frightened of his best friend. He lifted a hand, willing it not to tremble, and stroked the wet, fur-like, hair. Naruto paused and those amazing blue eyes looked at him, mutely thanking him.

Naruto felt a touch on his hair. He risked looking at his friend's face and marvelled at Shikamaru's confident affection. He had not lost his best friend. Shikamaru was awesome.

A quick trip to the closet yielded a suitably thick, fluffy robe. Naruto wrapped Shikamaru securely and then lifted him.

Shikamaru knew it would be better if he were walking. It would mean fewer questions. On the other hand, he doubted his legs would support him or that Naruto would agree that he should try. It proved to be scarily comforting to be held and carried by someone that strong; it was like being a child again. As he had many times, Shikamaru marvelled that anyone, even Sasuke, could cope with being Naruto's lover.

They were lucky; the crew room was empty. Naruto helped Shikamaru climb into his bunk and then accepted his invitation to stay. He sat, cross-legged, at the end of the bunk and watched at his friend. The friend he had so nearly lost.

"Stop thinking, Na-chan," Shikamaru advised.

Naruto stared at him with huge, child-like eyes. "I almost killed you."

"I know, but you didn't. You stopped. I should have known better than to come up behind you, 'specially when you were in such a state."

That reminded Naruto of Sasuke. Shikamaru watched him begin to crumble.

"Do you think so little of him?" Shikamaru demanded.

Naruto stiffened at the challenge in Shikamaru's tone.

"He's not some incapable child, Naruto. He's intelligent, and tough, and one of the most highly trained adolescents in existence."

Naruto knew that was true, but Sasuke was his mate. He needed to protect his mate. He tried to be more logical. Shikamaru was right, Sasuke would think his way out of the situation. He would use the resources available to him; resources like Haku. "I hope that Haku is with him," he said.

Shikamaru sighed. Naruto needed to see past his over protectiveness and recognise Sasuke's strength. As for Haku, "I am not sure I am with you on that, Na-chan," he admitted.

"But Haku is streetwise, and Sasuke isn't."

Shikamaru pulled back. This was not the time to tell Naruto that Haku hated Sasuke. At least Sasuke knew Haku hated him, there was some comfort in that. "My money is on Sasuke, not Haku," Shikamaru insisted. "Sasuke will bring them home."

Naruto watched Shikamaru sleep. It hurt, because Shikamaru believed in Sasuke more than he did. It hurt, because he had almost killed his best friend. It hurt, because he should be watching Sasuke. It hurt, because this was the worst day of his life. It hurt, because he was here and Sasuke was there.


	26. There

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you to those readers who have left reviews, feedback or comments. I thoroughly enjoy reading them and they do both help me to keep wirting and influence the quality of my current work._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**26. There**

* * *

Nothing happening was better than strangers breaking down the door. Nothing happening was worse than Haku returning.

He and Neji were playing Go. Sasuke had moved a small table up to the chair and released Neji's left arm. He wanted to untie the Hyuga completely, but felt that doing so without discussing it with Haku was unwise. Neji did not asked to be freed from the chair. Sasuke took that to mean that Neji agreed with his analysis of the situation.

Give the circumstances, the game was surprisingly fulfilling. Neji was at least as skilled as him, probably more so. Sasuke imagined Neji defeating Shikamaru: unlikely but perhaps possible.

Finally there were footsteps. Sasuke moved into position by the door.

The rhythm of the knock was correct and Haku seemed to be alone. He looked completely different than when he had left, but Sasuke was accustomed to Haku's ability to transform himself.

"It's worse than we thought…" Haku began, then stopped as he caught sight of their captive. "You're playing Go with him?" he demanded.

"It was a way of passing the time," Sasuke informed him. "Haku, this Neji. Neji, this is Haku. How is it worse?"

Haku dumped the bags he was carrying on the floor. "They forced the ship to lift. The port authorities threatened to destroy it."

Sasuke's mouth dried and his heart pounded. "Were they all on it? Are they safe?" he asked.

Haku frowned slightly. "I think so. There was nothing said that made me think otherwise. There were pictures of them carrying Naruto into the ship." He considered. "Yes, they were all there."

Sasuke relaxed. "Good."

Haku actually smiled at him. "Yes. Good."

"You can stay here," a voice said from behind them.

They both jumped, Haku more so.

"There are many transients in this district." Neji explained, "The city has no requirement for non-citizens to have identification. There is no neighbourliness in this building. I have been here long enough that I am not thought a newcomer. If I vouch for you, it should be enough, provided you no longer look as you did."

Hake scowled at him. "Why?"

Neji merely held hs gaze. "Consider it a job application," he replied.

Haku's eyes widened. "You told him?"

"Haku, everyone on the planet knows. One more doesn't make a difference."

"You trust him?"

"Yes."

Haku considered. "Very well. I agree that he could be an asset. We are much more likely to blend in with his help."

"We should establish your disguises and our cover story as quickly as possible," Neji continued, "in case they decide to start house to house searches."

* * *

Sasuke stared at the clothes and other items spread across Neji's bed.

"It is a brilliant idea," Neji told him. "Even more so given that you are staying here with me. Haku-san should be commended."

At that moment, Sasuke wanted to strangle Haku. He looked to where Haku was standing and smirking. "Haku, get over here. I haven't a clue where to start."

There was no decent mirror in Neji's apartment but Haku seemed content with the effect.

"You look a bit too classy for this district and for him," he observed, gesturing towards Neji. "Otherwise it's perfect."

"The clothes are all new," Neji suggested. "Around here, people's clothes are usually older and more worn."

Haku nodded. "We'll pick up some secondhand stuff when we can and wash these to take the sheen off."

"It needs to be all day, every day." Neji reminded him. "Anything else increases the risk. You need names. My cousin's name was Hinata. That would feel natural to me,"

"Hinata it is," Haku agreed. "I'll be Udon. You ready for training, Hinata-san? We'll start with walking."

* * *

Twilight was giving way to night. Sasuke was tired. So much had happened in a single day. This morning he and Naruto had been been preparing for their trip into the city. He closed his eyes, remembering their morning cuddling; the feel of Naruto's body against him. He dragged himself back to the present; Hinata-san would look much less convincing with an erection.

He went to close the drapes and saw an image reflected by the glass. He froze, staring. It could have been his mother looking at him. Neji reached passed him and closed the curtain.

"It's probably best not to stand at the window," he suggested.

"I look like my mother," Sasuke whispered. He shook himself and forced a smile. "Only she was much more beautiful."

"I doubt that," Neji replied, moving away from him in the direction of the tiny kitchen.

* * *

Next morning Neji left for work on time, leaving Sasuke and Haku to talk tactics. They sat at the table.

"Hinata-san," Haku achnowledged with a smirk.

Sasuke did not rise. "Udon-kun," he replied.

"To work," he continued. "I fear that the information gathering will fall to you, Haku. It would be out of character for Hinata to be running about the city. We need to keep our eyes on the search for us, we must try to track the Silver Leaf without appearing to do so and we should be alert enough to recognise any messages the others are trying to send us. Such a message could be difficult to spot, given that it will need to be obscure enough to avoid the media's attention."

They started by listing the sources of information that might be available and the means they required to access it. Some forty minutes later Sasuke called a halt because Haku's concentration had gone.

He started to look about the tiny kitchen for the makings of some tea and perhaps a snack. It was soon obvious that Neji lived on prepared food bought from street vendors. He sighed. "You will have to buy supplies. Perhaps we should start with that."

* * *

Neji served the customer with his usual grace, despite it being past his time to leave. Normally he would not have minded, but the past three evenings had been different: he was impatient to get back to the apartment to check that all was well. He quickly briefed his replacement, took leave from his boss and headed for home.

On the way he bought some flowers and six of the little pastries had been well received the day before.

The step, the doorway, the stairs and the landing, all were much cleaner than they had been when he had departed that morning. Neji frowned at the thought of Hinata being out of the apartment: it was much safer if she stayed within. He rapped out the agreed signal and opened the door.

She was in the tiny kitchen preparing their meal. They exchanged greetings. Neji held up the box of pastries and then placed it on the table. Instead of giving her the flowers, he found a vase and arranged them himself.

Every surface in the apartment was now clean. Even the drapes had been washed and the carpets beaten. Neji asked if he could help with the meal but his offer was refused. He sat at the table and watched her cook. Their knock: Neji let Haku in and the two of them sat at the table.

"What were you doing letting her clean outside?" Neji demanded, his voice low.

Haku's eyebrows rose. "_He_ was doing it by the time I got back from the market. I helped. It was faster and less risky than arguing about it. As it was, it worked out fine because one of the search parties turned up. Little housewife scrubbing the steps. Couldn't have been more perfect. They're definitely losing interest; most of them were more interested in chatting her up than asking questions. I mean chatting _him_ up. Damn it. He's so convincing it's scary."

Neji did not find it scary. He found it many things, but not scary.

A carefully modulated alto voice came from the kitchen. "Can one of you set the table, please?"

It was wonderfully strange. The tablecloth, Neji was sure he had never owned such a thing, was spotless and had been ironed. There were matching napkins. Haku acted as if preparing the table for formal dining happened every day: Neji had not sat down at a table to eat since his grandmother had died.

The pastries had been arranged on the best plate and were given pride of place. The food was simple, but perfectly cooked. They ate. They conversed. After the meal he washed the dishes and Haku put them away. They played Go while Haku lay on the floor and used a viewer to check the news. Neji had not been so happy in a long, long time.

She went to bed early, pulling across the curtain that separated the sleeping area from the rest of the room. Neji guessed that she was tired from all the cleaning. He put away the board and the stones before sitting down on the couch. Haku looked up at him from the floor, shook his head but said nothing.

Settling on Chanx had been Neji's surrender, the moment he gave up the last shred of hope that his life was going to be other than mundane and pointless.

The insane, frantic journey that had started just before his tenth birth anniversary was over. All his fellow travellers, everyone he had ever cared about save one, were dead.

He had tried to make it as a spacer, as he had promised his grandmother, but his time as cat had almost destroyed him. He had clung to the hope that it would be better as crew.

The truth was that he was less miserable working in a shop and living in the tiny, shabby apartment than trapped in a ship with men who made his skin crawl. Solitude had its advantages.

Then Sasuke and Haku had broken into his apartment and his world was recreated. Sasuke's intellect and integrity shone. This was the type of man Neji had been raised to serve. Even Haku, complicated and conflicted Haku, was a joy to observe and puzzle. Even Hinata, who did not exist, was wonderfully real.

And he had not broken his promise to his grandmother. He had not told Sasuke that he was Hyuga. Sasuke had told him. He could live with that small distinction.

"Neji?" Haku asked.

Neji had been expecting it. He knew that Haku had waited until the sounds from the other side of the curtain indicated sleep. "Don't Haku," he replied: half plea; half warning. He could tell that Haku was not dissuaded. "I need these memories," he added.

There was silence. Neji decided that Haku was not going to reply. Then he spoke, "What about when she's gone?"

Neji considered, "I shall think of her as Sasuke's sister, who I was privileged and honoured to visit with for a short time."

"Good solution," Haku agreed. "At least you didn't fall in love with him, with Sasuke. He's taken."

"The one with yellow hair," Neji agreed. There had been endless reruns of the holos. "Naruto."

"Yes. Naruto. He is special."

That interested Neji. "Because he's a hybrid?"

"No, because he is Naruto. You'll understand when you meet him."

"Will I get to meet him?"

Haku scowled at him. "That's the plan. You look after us here. You get to join the crew."

Another crew: Neji hoped he would cope. "I have spaced before. It has always been… …difficult."

"This is my fifth crew. This is the best. None of them smell. Iruka-san, he's the queen, he really cares." Haku considered. "We have a proper meal every evening, like the one we had tonight. Only without a tablecloth. We have placemats. Shikamaru plays Go even better than Sasuke."

Neji was touched that Haku should be reassuring him. "That sounds pleasant," he admitted.

* * *

Sasuke woke. He kept dreaming of his mother, which was hardly surprising since she looked at him from every reflective surface. At least he was dreaming of her alive, which was an improvement.

When he did not dream of his mother he dreamed of Naruto, which was comforting but inconvenient as Neji's apartment was small and he knew that Neji would not appreciate listening to him climax. Neji was very proper.

Sasuke wondered how he would adapt to the crew room. He contemplated what he would do the next day; there was really nothing left to clean.

Perhaps Neji had some mending he could do.

He missed Naruto so.


	27. Rendezvous

This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Heartfelt gratitude to those who have left a review or reviews. They are very much appreciated._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**27. Rendezvous**

* * *

On the sixth day after they had lost Sasuke and Haku, the Captain requested an Uchiha-style meeting in the crew room. She informed them that a berth could be secured at one of the other spaceports. It would cost a fortune in bribes but it was possible. They even had unofficial permission to drop disguised.

They settled on the name 'Performance Tracker', which would mean nothing to anyone outside the crew, and set the ship's colours to blue and orange to underline the message.

They then discussed the ways that Sasuke or Haku could contact them to reduce the risk of a missed message.

* * *

Neji had left for work, leaving Sasuke and Haku to follow the routine they had established. They began by reviewing the information that Haku had collected the day before.

Top priority was the schedule for drops and lifts. Sasuke scanned the list while Haku finished tidying the kitchen. There was the familiar feeling of disappointment, followed by unexpected elation. "They're dropping at Soutash," he announced, "tomorrow."

Haku abandoned the dishes and came over. "I couldn't have missed that," he complained.

Sasuke needed to hug someone, so he hugged Haku. "They are using an alternative identity for the ship. We need a plan," he declared.

Haku did not know which was weirder, being hugged by Hinata or being hugged by Sasuke.

By the time Neji arrived they had a fully-fledged plan. He listened carefully and suggested a few modifications. The essence of the plan was to use short-route, public transport to make their way to Soutash. It would take five times as long as a direct flight but it did not involve being trapped with the same group of people for long lengths of time.

Their cover would be that they were visiting Hinata and Urdo's family so that Neji could be introduced to their mother. Before they left Neji would send a message to the Performance Tracker from the library. The message would say that Neji was an ex-spacer who was looking to place his fiancée's brother as cat.

As they left before dawn next morning Neji felt Haku's hand on his arm, delivering a sympathetic squeeze. Neji gave the slightest of nods, locked the door and picked up his and Hinata's bag.

* * *

Shino had been getting up early each morning to check whether any messages came in overnight. He exploded into the crew room with the news. Undressed, half dressed and dressed, they crowded around the table in the galley to discuss the short message's meaning.

"There's only ever one place outside any spaceport where crews go to look over cats," Iruka pointed out. "It's a good idea. We turn up at the suggested time and they are there."

"If they get there unrecognised," Jiraiya responded.

"And if we do not alert the media," Kakashi added. "We'll need not to look like us." He looked at Naruto. "Sorry, Naru-kun, but you cannot leave the ship. We cannot disguise what you are. We should also only take males. Apologies, Rin-san.

Iruka stood in the middle of the closet. He had never missed Haku so much; the boy would have been in his element. Even Sasuke would have been useful; at least he knew his way around the closet.

In the end he asked Naruto to help, more because Naruto would appreciate being involved than Iruka anticipated him being particularly suited for the task.

"We need to dress everyone who is leaving the ship so they look differently to normal," Iruka explained. "That's Kakashi, Ibiki, Jiraiya, Shino, Shikamaru and me."

Naruto's expression was particularly thoughtful. "Lots of crews have a shared style," he said. "If we went for a crew style it would make it easier and more convincing."

Iruka was pleasantly surprised. It was a good idea and it would cut down the number of decisions they had to make. He was about to make some suggestions, but Naruto was continuing.

"A bit outrageous would be good. It will distract from people focusing on faces and heights. What about a bit slutty? You know, make-up and a bit too much flesh showing? The kind of thing that's shouts, 'We can risk dressing like this because we are lethal'."

If it had been Kakashi, Iruka would suspect that he was being teased, but this was Naruto.

"I mean, four of you could carry that off easy. We can make Ibiki look like a protector and we could dress Jiraiya like one of those queens who hasn't come to terms with the fact that he's old."

That was too good an opportunity to miss, even for Iruka.

"Kakashi will be a problem," Naruto continued, "because the media showed him a lot and because of the implant."

"He has a skin he can wear over it. It makes it look like his other eye," Iruka told him. "We'll have to dye his hair."

"And Shino will have to go out stripped down, which he won't like. We'll have to get Shikamaru to work on him."

Fifteen minutes later they had found everything in the closet made of mesh, net or leather. There was a surprising amount of it. Naruto had found a box of studded leather accessories and Iruka a drawer full of chains. They looked at each other and smiled.

* * *

Neji had told himself that it would end when they left the apartment but every moment of their journey to Soutash was inscribed into his memory. Travelling was a risk and it was essential that Hinata-san did not falter for even a moment. No one could be given the slightest opportunity to spot Sasuke.

She had a small notebook in which she had written the details of every step of the journey. On the right hand pages were individual stages of the planned, first-choice route. On each facing page there were alternatives and notes. Even the handwriting was feminine, with the beautifully formed characters made rounder and more regular.

At regular intervals, Hinata would fish the notebook out of the small bag she was carrying and study it, frowning slightly. Neji was not sure if he found it endearing or erotic or both.

He walked on her right, carried her bag, opened all doors and sat between her and any stranger. They said very little. Haku did most of the talking.

At one point, mid afternoon, she fell asleep on his shoulder. He watched her, knowing that she often dreamed and ready to wake her. He said her name when she awoke, in case she forgot where and who she was.

* * *

Naruto was satisfied with his work. Both Rin-san and the Captain were suitably impressed. The six of them looked very much like a crew going out to seek a new cat.

Shikamaru, who never bothered to make an effort beyond being clean and clothed, was utterly transformed. His lanky body was made for skin-tight leather and, strangely, the mesh was far more revealing on him than on anyone else. Loosed, his hair flowed down his back and framed his face. Shikamaru himself seemed unbothered with the attention he was receiving. He glided across the room, took a seat at the mirror and began painting his eyes.

Shino sauntered over and proffered a lipstick, Shikamaru pointedly ignored it, choosing instead purple to match his eyes and his nails.

* * *

They had been travelling almost eight hundred minutes when they reached Soutash. They were later than they had hoped and they had to make their way directly to the plaza where the spacers went to view potential cats.

Hinata paused for a moment, then picked out a table close but not too close to another occupied by a family. She waited for Neji to present her chair before she sat.

Haku went to buy them food and drink from one of the stalls. The two of them sat in companionable silence for some time before Hinata broke it.

"I would like to thank you, Neji-san. You have made it so much easier for me. I do not think I would have managed without you." She leaned close and kissed his cheek.

Neji savoured the moment and stored the memory. "It has been an honour and a privilege, Hinata-san," he replied.

Haku returned with the refreshments and settled down to watch for the crew, easily falling into the character of a lad looking to cat.

Suddenly he stiffened. "You know we discussed how there were cameras everywhere and that they would need to be careful," he said. "Well, I think they came up with a similar solution to ours. Don't worry, Neji, we don't usually dress like that."

Neji looked. There was no missing them, not because they looked like the crew that had been shown endlessly on the broadcasts but because they exuded confidence and power.

They were dressed in leather and mesh, with their faces painted and their knives blatantly displayed. Neji's eyes were riveted by a young spacer with long hair and purple lipstick, clad in skin-tight leather pants with mesh stretched across his torso. The way he moved connected directly with one of the primeval parts of Neji's brain. Watching him was certainly a distraction from losing Hinata.

He sought their names among the information he had gleaned from Haku during their late evening conversations, after Hinata had retired and Sasuke was not present to curb his tongue.

The biggest must be Ibiki and the oldest Jiraiya. Of the two youngest, the one with the network of control wires on his left hand must be Shino, which meant that the one whose every movement demanded Neji's attention was Shikamaru: he who played Go better than Sasuke. The others had to be Kakashi, who was leader if not captain, and Iruka, the queen, of whom Haku had spoken with uncharacteristic respect.

Sasuke experienced a moment of bizarre disorientation before he could accept that his crew, particularly Shikamaru, could look like that. Then disappointment; Naruto was not with them. Of course he was not with them, to disguise Naruto you would need to pluck his whiskers and file his teeth. Neither had they brought the Captain or Rin; crews with women were rare.

Jiraiya recognised him first. Sasuke watched the blood drain from his face; it would appear that he did indeed look like his mother. The others only recognised Haku and Sasuke had the pleasure of watching each face travel through from worry, through confusion to recognition. Shikamaru took one of the seats opposite him.

"Wow," he said quietly.

"Wow yourself," Sasuke replied. "Haku's idea," he added.

"Naruto's," Shikamaru replied.

Sasuke gestured to his right. "This is Neji. He is coming with us."

There was a short, stunned silence that Kakashi broke, "Is he?"

Neji flinched inside. Sasuke had handled the introduction badly. Having trained as a Hyuga, even if he was no longer one, Neji could see where the individuals' behaviours were taking the group.

Kakashi was on the edge of refusing to take him onto the ship. Sasuke and Haku would insist on arguing. There was a risk that would attract too much attention and the media would be alerted. Neji had to choose his target, the person with the most influence who was also most likely to respond. In this situation that was Iruka.

"I apologise for the inconvenience, Iruka-san," he said politely. "I understand that this is a difficult situation. I have been honoured to assist Sasuke-san and Haku-kun in their quest to get home. I do not expect anything in return."

"We can't leave Neji behind," Haku interrupted, scowling. "Say something, Sasuke," he demanded.

Kakashi leaned towards him. "Haku, keep your voice down."

"Neji-san, you are invited to accompany us onto the ship as crew guest," Iruka said suddenly. "Kakashi-san, I am sure that our plan can be modified to accommodate Neji-san."

Kakashi gaped slightly, then recovered. "But…" he began.

Iruka frowned at him. "I believe that, in the Captain's absence, I have the final say."

Sasuke blinked. He could not remember Iruka ever playing the queen card with Kakashi. Sasuke dropped his head, sheltered under his hair and glanced sideways at Neji. Despite the Hyuga's few words, he could not shake the impression that a potentially explosive situation had been expertly defused.


	28. Crew

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated. Thank you to those readers who have have taken time to do so. I appreciate it._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**28. Crew**

* * *

Naruto paced; first up to the airlock and then back down the corridor. He had tried to occupy himself once the others had left. With the ship prepared for immediate lift there had not been many available options. He had settled on running the latest simulations Shikamaru had prepared for him.

He had forced himself to stay away from the airlock until a time when they could possibly return. Even so, he had had done a lot of pacing.

Finally the intercom buzzed. "You can open up, Naruto," the Captain told him. "They are crossing the field. No sign of trouble."

Naruto overrode the safety protocols and opened both doors of the airlock. Mindful of not being recognised, he resisted the urge to stand on the threshold, settling instead for the limited view provided by the camera. He caught glimpses of Haku, posing as the crew's new cat, and two containers on hover platforms. One would contain Sasuke but the second was unexpected.

Naruto thought back to the message. It had mentioned three people: the ex-spacer, his fiancée and her brother. Sasuke must have been trying to warn them about a third person.

Shikamaru was guiding the first hover platform up to the platform and into the airlock. Naruto knew that Shi-chan would send Sasuke in first. Naruto was certain he could smell him.

He managed to delay long enough to move the hover platform through the airlock and well into the corridor, so the others would be able to embark. Then he grounded the platform and ripped the lid from the container.

Sasuke's arms were around his neck before he could let go of the lid. Naruto hugged him close and lifted him clear of the container. He felt Sasuke's legs wrap about his waist. Naruto wanted to hold him forever. He smelt and felt so good.

"Are you two ever going to let go of each other?" asked Shikamaru.

"No," answered Sasuke but Naruto felt the grip around his neck loosen. "I need to introduce you to Neji," he admitted and Naruto replied by lifting him off his hips and standing him on the ground.

Naruto could see Haku in the airlock. The other container was being manoeuvred through the outer hatch.

Shikamaru smiled. "You haven't even noticed how he's dressed."

Naruto looked. Sasuke was wearing women's clothes. It was a good idea for a disguise; purebred humans were so reliant on their sight. "Still smells like Sasuke," he replied.

He felt a touch on his arm, a gesture of apology for moving away from him, and then Sasuke walked over to where Ibiki was grounding the second platform.

Naruto noticed that Haku also moved towards the container. Whoever this Neji was, both Sasuke and Haku cared about him.

Sasuke opened the lid and a young man, about Shikamaru's age, stood up. He was very pale and very slim. He had a very distinct smell, not unpleasant but different. It made Naruto wonder if he were purebred human; the only person he had met with a more distinct scent was the sharkman.

He stepped out of the container and Sasuke led him directly to Naruto.

"Naruto, this is Neji-san, who helped us stay hidden. Neji, this is my Naruto."

The young man bowed formally, "It is an honour to meet you, Naruto-san."

Naruto was still recovering from the surprise of Sasuke describing him as 'my Naruto'. He was, but Sasuke had never felt the need to say it and using it in an introduction had to mean something.

He took refuge in formality. "I am also honoured, Neji-san. Thank you for helping Sasuke and Haku-kun."

"It was a privilege," Neji replied, "as is being allowed onto the ship. Would it be possible to pay my respects to the captain?"

"Perhaps after lift," Kakashi answered. He went to the intercom. "All aboard, Captain. Ibiki-san is setting the security." He turned to Iruka. "Shikamaru can lift in the Control Room. That will give you enough bunks prepared in the crew room."

Naruto and Sasuke stowed the hover platforms and secured the containers in one of the storage holds. By the time they reached the crew room Haku and Iruka had finished altering Shikamaru's acceleration bed for Neji. Everyone else had shed and stowed anything that would be uncomfortable under high gee and were strapped or strapping in.

Naruto watched as Sasuke stripped off the most of his disguise, stuffed it into one of the lockers, lay down and fastened his straps. He was the last and Iruka announced that the crew room was ready for roll call.

"Crew guest Neji, are you prepared for lift?" Shikamaru's voice asked over the intercom.

"This is Neji, strapped and ready," Neji replied, which confirmed to Naruto that the young man had spaced.

"Haku, strapped and ready."

"This is Sasuke, strapped in and ready."

"Naruto, strapped in and ready."

"Shino. Strapped. Ready."

"Rin, Strapped in. Ready."

"This is Ibiki, strapped in and ready."

"Jiraiya, strapped in and ready."

"This is Iruka. I am strapped in and ready. The crew room is prepared for lift."

"Shikamaru, strapped in and ready."

"Kakashi, strapped in and ready for lift."

"This is the Captain, strapped in and ready. The Control Room is prepared for lift. Lift in ten seconds."

Naruto monitored the familiar changes in vibration from the ship's lift engines. Then as the count fell to zero, the force began building and lift had begun.

By the time the unstrap was issued, Sasuke had fallen asleep. Naruto stared down at him, uncertain whether to wake him. Iruka came over to see if there was a problem.

"We'll work around him for now," he decided. "Haku isn't much better. Apparently they have been travelling from before dawn. Add an extra bunk to your sleeping platform. Use a spare and add Sasuke's in later."

Naruto was grateful. They were very junior to be given an extra bunk. He turned his acceleration bed bunk side up and slid it into its usual position, then swung one of the spares out of the wall and attached it. Reinstating the crew room happened so often that it was second nature, although he had to think about the parts Sasuke usually did.

Once the bunk was ready, he went back to Sasuke. Kakashi was standing studying him.

"It was too close," Kakashi said quietly as they carefully undid the straps holding Sasuke to the bed. "Word will spread from Chanx. We have to return to Tarrasade and rethink." He looked at Naruto. "I wish I had managed to give you and Sasuke a little more time."

Naruto understood, first the encounter with Itachi, now this. Hiding was no longer the safest option. "I will adapt, Kakashi-sensei," he promised. He lifted Sasuke, who stirred slightly but settled in the familiar embrace as Naruto carried him to their bunk.

Shikamaru set up a bunk for Neji because both cats were too exhausted to do so. Neji tried to help but Shikamaru held up a hand. "Not a chance," he said, "if Iruka-sensei catches me allowing a guest to set up his own bunk I'll be scrubbing the heads for eternity."

Neji found himself wanting to smile. Partly it was relief, because this crew was so different. Another part was seeing the crew doing such mundane tasks in the remnants of their disguises. Shikamaru had tied his hair back from his face but he was still wearing the skin-tight leather pants and the purple makeup.

"I'll show you the heads and the showers," Shikamaru said as he finished hanging the drapes. "Is there anything I can get you from the closet or the galley? Are you hungry?"

Neji was not particularly hungry and he was weary. On the other hand, the opportunity for a conversation with Shikamaru was not something he wished to miss. "If you are having something to eat, Shikamaru-san, it would be a privilege to join you."

Shikamaru had scrubbed off the make-up and changed by the time they settled at the galley table, although his fingernails were still purple. Shino appeared in the doorway.

"Sasuke's out of it and Naruto is watching him," he told Shikamaru. "I can hear his stomach rumbling from halfway across the room."

Shikamaru sighed. "Excuse me, Neji-san," he said. "I will be back soon. Shino, could you heat up some of the soup?"

"Where is Iruka-san?"

"No idea. He said we should get something if we wanted it. Heat the soup, Shino."

Shikamaru vanished into the crew room and quickly reappeared towing a reluctant Naruto.

"He's not going to wake up before morning, Naru-kun," Shikamaru was saying. "You know that. You need to eat. Also, you can get to know Neji-san."

Naruto stopped resisting and sat at the table. "Some soup and bread would be nice," he admitted.

"Neji-san can tell us what happened on Chanx," Shino suggested.

Neji shook his head. "No. Sasuke-san and Haku-kun will wish to tell you themselves," he said and was rewarded by a stunningly direct look from Shikamaru. It was breathtaking, like expecting to see an ordinary light and encountering a laser.

Naruto was nodding. "Yes, we would not want to spoil it for them. Haku?"

"Asleep." Shino confirmed.

"It has been stressful for them, particularly Sasuke-san," Neji admitted.

"You seem to be coping," Shino observed.

"I am older and I only had to be myself," Neji replied. "Pretending to be someone you are not is very tiring."

"That soup ready yet?" Shikamaru asked.

"Soup? There's soup?" asked Ibiki as he walked through the door.

Before long everyone other than the two cats were sitting around the table eating soup and breaking bread. Neji was too tired to observe properly, so he settled for gathering impressions.

There was so much affection and friendship, even love, that it was a little overwhelming. Then the meal appeared to be over. Naruto returned to watching Sasuke. Rin-san took her leave, followed by Ibiki. Neji was about to excuse himself when Kakashi stopped him.

"If we could have a few minutes, Neji-san," he said, "and a little privacy."

Shino and Shikamaru stood up, but Iruka and Jiraiya stayed. Neji briefly wished that they had waited until morning. He watched Shino leave. Shikamaru was standing, looking at him.

"I would like Shikamaru-san to stay," Neji heard himself say, which was true but he did not know why he was thinking it and, even more strangely, saying it.

Kakashi frowned, but gestured for Shikamaru to slide the door closed and sit.

Shikamaru spoke before he had even sat down. "Just take out your contacts, Neji-san," he advised. "It will make everything so much easier."

Neji nodded. So that was why he had asked if Shikamaru could stay. He slowly took out the brown contact lenses he had worn every day for almost ten standards. Then he raised his head and looked Kakashi in the eye. "I want to serve him, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi swore. Then Jiraiya saw and started asking questions that Neji was far too tired to decide if he wished to answer. Iruka was demanding to know what was wrong with both of them.

Neji could no longer cope. It had been so very long. He was so weary. Jiraiya-san's interrogation rolled over him. Kakashi was still swearing.

"Iruka-sensei," Shikamaru's voice pleaded. "Please. Look at him."

And it was quiet. Kakashi and Jiraiya were gone. The hated lenses were taken away for safekeeping. A cup of tea was placed before him.

Neji had to wait some time before he could drink it; his hand was trembling too much to hold the cup. He was pleased when he managed to finish it without making a spill.

"I am here should you need anything, Neji-kun," Iruka told him. "Shika-kun, please make sure that Neji-san makes it safely to his bunk."

Neji managed the walk to his bunk. Shikamaru walked beside him, hands in pockets, watching while appearing not to watch.


	29. The shower

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Heartfelt thanks to those who have left a review or comment. They are always gratefully received._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

If you do not know why Naruto will not go into one of the showers, read chapter 25 'Here'.

* * *

******************Any scenes considered too graphic are replaced by oo******oo**

******************Sorry that there is so little of this chapter left.**

* * *

**29. The shower**

* * *

Sasuke pulled Naruto into the shower and locked the door. Naruto started to protest again but Sasuke placed three fingers across his lips.

"Hush, dobe. We are going to make new memories, good memories."

Naruto remained, but Sasuke could see that he was not happy about it. He was tense. Ripples of agitation travelled across his skin. His whiskers jumped every few seconds.

"Naruto, sweetheart, you can't avoid using this shower."

"I can try. There are two."

"Do you want to explain to Iruka-sensei why you won't use this shower? Because he would notice. You know he would."

Naruto's whiskers drooped. "Shi-chan says it is best not to tell anyone other than you." He looked away. "I wish I had never told you."

Sasuke was not going to let him get away with that. "You think I wouldn't have noticed that something was wrong? Do you think I wouldn't have asked Shikamaru? Do you want Shikamaru to have to talk about it?"

"Teme," Naruto muttered. He shook himself. "Shi-chan has forgiven me."

"And that means you think he would like to have a conversation about it?"

"Teme," repeated Naruto.

Sasuke turned to walk towards the faucet and heard Naruto moving behind him. "Dobe, if you leave I am going to go straight to Shikamaru and tell him that you are so hung up over what happened that you can't use this shower."

The movement stopped. "Teme," Naruto growled.

Sasuke turned on the water and set it to a very fine spray. He took Iruka's prized sponge from the rack and slathered it with the only one of the three cleansers that was aroma-free enough for Naruto.

"That's Iruka-sensei's sponge." Naruto was shocked.

"If he knew why I wanted it he would lend it to me," Sasuke told him and closed the gap between them before Naruto could recover from hearing such an outrageous assertion.

He knelt and began washing the top of Naruto's left foot. Then he lifted the foot and wiped the sponge across the sole and between the toes. Naruto, being Naruto, did not need to steady himself on Sasuke but there was a tiny suck of breath; Naruto had very sensitive feet. Sasuke replaced the foot on the floor and carefully washed Naruto's ankle, shin, calf and knee, paying particular attention to the back of the knee, which produced another hitch in his breathing. Sasuke then repeated the process on Naruto's right foot and leg. By the time he reached the back of the right knee, Naruto had started to relax.

Naruto had not wanted to go into the shower. Not even Sasuke was going to get him into the shower. He was therefore resentful that he was in the shower and that Sasuke had found a way of stopping him leaving.

It was difficult to remain resentful as Sasuke bathed his feet and legs, but he tried.

**oo******oo**

Sasuke was up and reaching for a kiss. Naruto brushed Sasuke's lips with his own, the first step in their favourite sequence of kisses. Some days one of them would break the pattern, teasing with an out of place lick or nip, but not this time: the brush, the peck, lips, tongues, Sasuke plundering Naruto's mouth, Naruto invading Sasuke's. Naruto initiated a seventh kiss, sucking Sasuke's tongue into his mouth. Naruto finished the kiss and smiled.

The seventh kiss was their signal that Naruto wanted Sasuke to fuck him. Sasuke stared into soft, blue, vulnerable eyes. He scooped up Iruka-sensei's sponge and led Naruto to stand under the spray. Slowly Sasuke washed his arms and his chest while Naruto moved in a sensual, lithe dance under the sponge. Then he turned, offering Sasuke his back. Sasuke worked down from his breadth of his shoulders to his slender waist. As the sponge reached his buttocks, Naruto braced himself against the wall and spread his legs slightly. Sasuke made a single sweep with the sponge and then discarded it.

**oo******oo**

Sasuke was dumped into reality by the sound. Either they moved to their bunk now or spent the rest of the night in the shower. He pulled away.

"Naruto," he warned.

Naruto whimpered. He knew Sasuke was right. Being locked together in the shower would be uncomfortable. He imagined what the others would think and say, the amount of teasing Sasuke would have to endure.

It was both a short time and eternity before they were in their bunk. Naruto buried his nose in Sasuke' slightly damp hair. He smelt delicious. Naruto threw back his head and howled.


	30. Battles

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Thank you to those readers who have left a review. They are much appreciated and others would be welcome._

* * *

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.

* * *

**30. Battles**

**

* * *

**

Once the evening meal was over, Neji and Shikamaru sat cross-legged opposite each other across the low table. Shikamaru unfroze the board.

"Your move, Neji," he stated.

As if Neji did not know. As if the whole crew did not know. This was their first ever game of Go and it had already stretched across four evenings into a fifth. The slim advantage Shikamaru had in strategy was balanced by Neji's ability to read his behaviour. They had played for one hundred and fifty minutes each evening. No one could decide who would be favoured by playing for a shorter or a longer period of time.

Shikamaru waited. This was the moment. Either Neji would see the crucial move and make it or he would not. If he saw it, the game was over because Shikamaru could not imagine Neji making an error when playing out the end game.

Shikamaru was going to be so disappointed if he missed it.

Neji's long, elegant fingers placed the white stone.

"I resign," Shikamaru declared. "Congratulations, Neji-san."

Neji lips moved slightly in what may or may not have been a smile. "It was an honour and a privilege, Shikamaru-san."

"W-what happened?" Naruto asked.

"That was the key move," Sasuke explained. "Shikamaru knows that he will lose if they play out the rest of the game. Congratulations, Neji. I think that is the first time Shikamaru has lost a game of Go since he was five."

"I was ten," Shikamaru admitted. "I lost to my grandfather."

He began picking up the black stones. Neji was collecting the white. Their hands touched and Neji looked up. For a split second their eyes met and Shikamaru saw through the stoic surface into confusion and uncertainty.

The gate closest to Chanx was seven days from the planet. Other than watching the epic game of Go, they prepared for the long haul to Tarrasade. There had been no time to buy provisions at Soutash so stocktaking was essential. Iruka was anxious enough to be organising hydroponics tanks in one of the pressurised storage holds.

Kakashi had them running the whole repertoire of drills, from being hit by space junk to full out battle. By the time they reached the gate it would be fourteen days after the news of Sasuke Uchiha's whereabouts broke. Given that Chanx was a centre of light speed communication there was little doubt that the information had been relayed to other systems, attracting crews hunting opportunity, fortune or notoriety.

All it would take was for someone to link the Performance Tracker to the Silver Leaf and they would be trying to avoid other ships all the way to Tarrasade.

Naruto spent much more time training on the weapons simulators than in the gym.

On the sixth day the Captain called a Meeting and informed them that they would approach the gate prepared for battle. The next morning they sprung the panels concealing the battle chairs: Jiraiya's and Iruka's in the crew room, Shino's and Shikmaru's in the lab, Ibiki's in the weapon store. Naruto, Sasuke and Haku helped strap them in and run the checks for their helmets, visors and control gloves. Rin and Neji reviewed the plans for responding to damage and prioritising first aid.

Sasuke went with Naruto to the gun turret. There were no preparations to make there; Naruto kept it perfectly tuned. They kissed, then Naruto settled into position and Sasuke went to the Control Room to join Kakashi and the Captain.

It was still a long way to the jump gate. They each had their way of coping: Shino and Shikamaru talked, Iruka played music, Jiraiya meditated, Ibiki carried out endless checks on the weapons systems, Naruto ran simulations. In the Control Room Sasuke piloted the ship, Kakashi tested the battle board and the Captain brooded.

The Captain called them to battle stations forty minutes from the gate. Twenty minutes out they were close enough for Shino to begin deciphering the mess of signals and for Kakashi to glean some useful data from the sensors.

"_Shino here_. The gate is set on incoming. Repeat. The gate is set on incoming."

"_Kakashi here._ We have a problem, Captain. Multiple ships between us and the gate."

"_Command._ How many?"

"_Shino here._Eleven ships. Each showing individual colours. Shikamaru is running the identifiers."

"_Shikamaru here_. Only five of the identifiers are good. Only two of the five are queued for jump. Analysis, estimate six to nine potential hostiles."

"Kakashi here. Potential hostile one within weapons range seven minutes. Potential hostile two within weapons range eight minutes."

"Naruto here. Ready to begin firing on command."

"_Ibiki here._ Armour active. Weapons loaded. Reload prepared."

The Captain killed her mike, signalling Kakashi and Sasuke to do likewise.

"Kakashi?" she asked.

"Shikamaru is correct," Kakashi confirmed. "There is no good reason for ships to be at the gate unless they are queued for jump. Given the number of ships with false identifiers, we have to assume that it is an ambush. The gate is stuck on incoming and there isn't anywhere to hide so there is no chance of avoiding a fight. We'll last three exchanges, maybe four or five given that Naruto is on the guns. There is no good option if this turns into a battle. Short of a miracle, this is a battle. Potential hostile within weapons range in six minutes, Captain."

Sasuke looked at the battle board. Battle was inevitable. There was only one way to win. Some of the crews had to fight with them rather than against them. "Tsunade-sama, I respectfully request command," he said.

Tsunade looked at him. She did not look at Kakashi. She activated her mike.

"_Command. _This is Tsunade yielding command to Sasuke-sama. Repeat, this is Tsunade yielding command to Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke activated his mike. "_This is Sasuke._This is Sasuke Uchiha assuming command.

"_Command. _Shikamaru, you are the voice in my ear. Tsunade, you are pilot. Kakashi, you will update the battle board. Shino, communications. Naruto, guns. Ibiki, weapons and defence. Jiraiya, you are other ships damage report. Iruka, you are this ship damage report. Rin, Haku and Neji stand by. Shino, change our identifier to the Silver Leaf and remove our colours. Now. Shino acknowledge."

"_This is Shino._ Identifier is Silver Leaf and we have no colours."

"_Command. _Kakashi, set the battle board. Friends and allies are blue/red/white. Neutrals are purple. Acknowledge."

"_This is Kakashi_ The battle board colours are set. Friends and allies are blue/red/white. Neutrals are purple."

"_Command_. Naruto, the word 'Fox' is your signal to attack all potential hostiles. Friends and allies are blue/red/white. Neutrals are purple. Acknowledge."

"_This is Naruto._ The signal to attack potential hostiles is 'Fox'. Friends and allies are blue/red/white. Neutrals are purple."

"_Command. _Shino, get ready to set our colours to blue/red/white on my mark. Acknowledge."

"This is Shikamaru. Sasuke-sama, I can give you full Uchiha battle livery if you wish."

"_Command. _Shino, belay your last order. Shikamaru, display full livery on my mark. Shino, ship to all ships broadcast on my mark. End broadcast after word 'allegiance'. Repeat broadcast on loop. Acknowledge."

"_This is Shikamaru. _Full battle livery on your mark, Sasuke-sama."

"_This is Shino._ Ship to all ships broadcast on your mark. End broadcast after word 'allegiance'. Repeat broadcast on loop."

"_This is Sasuke_. Thank you, everyone. It is an honour and a privilege. Naruto, I love you.

"_Command._ Mark!

"**This is Sasuke Uchiha commanding the Silver Leaf.**

"**I proclaim the Uchiha call to battle.**

"**In the cold of space you find the heat of suns.**

"**Battle has commenced. Our colours are blue/red/white. Neutral is purple.**

"**Declare the nature and the extent of your allegiance."**

"_Command._ 'Fox'."

Sasuke watched the battle board. The closest ship had less than twenty seconds to declare itself friend, ally or neutral before it was in range of their guns and Naruto fired. If it had better guns, they would be hit first. It should not have better guns. The Silver Leaf had the best available guns. It passed the point and Naruto fired.

"_This is Jiraiya._ Direct hit on power plant. Potential hostile eliminated."

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile: the perfect shot; trust Naruto. His eyes did not leave the battle board. The next closest potential hostile changed colour to purple, declaring its neutrality, but did not change course. The two ships queuing for the gate went purple. He decided that it was best to be cautious.

"_Command. _Shino, warn neutrals to keep their distance beyond weapons range. Add to broadcasting loop. Acknowledge."

"_This is Shino_. Neutrals to keep their distance beyond weapons range. Added to broadcast loop."

Four of the ships went green/gold; confirmation of a concealed alliance. It included the closest, which had temporarily declared itself neutral. They fired. Naruto fired. They missed.

"_This is Jiraiya_. Direct hit on weapons. Hostile appears rendered weaponless."

They had already shown themselves unworthy of mercy. He had no intention of stopping Naruto. He felt the guns fire again.

"_This is Jiraiya._ Direct hit on power plant. Hostile eliminated."

Kakashi had added temporary identifiers to the enemies: T3, T4 and T5. Sasuke threw him a grateful glance, he would have agonised over which to attack first. Sasuke waited. One of the ships went blue/red/white. Sasuke's heart started to hammer. This was it. If the others went green/gold battle would be lost. If they went purple, Naruto might win them the slimmest of chances. If they…

Two of the other ships went blue/red/white. Sasuke experienced gut-deep relief.

"_Command. _Tsunade, change course. Take us towards T3. Accelerate to maximum norm."

He was pressed into his chair by the acceleration. They needed to watch the undeclared ship.

Sure enough, it declared green/gold and attacked the blue/red/white closest to it, the ship that had declared for them first. Kakashi labelled the new hostile T6.

"_This is Shikamaru._ The friend under attack is known to be weak."

"_Command. _Tsunade, take us within range of T6. Accelerate towards maximum but maintain constant velocity as we come into range. Acknowledge."

"_This is Tsunade._ Course towards T3 altered to bring us within range of T6. We will be at maximum achievable constant velocity as we come within range."

Only Naruto could score a hit when the relative velocity between the two ships was so great. Only Naruto and it would be at the limit of his skill.

The force from the acceleration was intense. Then it was gone; constant velocity. The guns fired twice.

"_This is Jiraiya._ Direct hit on power plant. T6 eliminated."

Only Naruto.

The ships who had declared for them second and third, in quick succession, appeared to be allies. They were attacking T4 using a classic pincer manoeuvre. T5 and T3 were showing no sign of cooperating. It looked like T5 was going to make a run for it.

T3 was dangerous. T3 would have hit them if the Silver Leaf had not been moving so quickly. Unfortunately for them, their gunner was only human.

Their new friends were effective. Having finished with T4 they were hunting down T5.

Sasuke allowed himself to relax slightly. Shikamaru would warn him of any developments. He was still sweating into already sweat-soaked clothes. Tsunade was smiling at him.

How many captains would have handed their command to a cat without hesitation? He killed his mike. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama," he acknowledged.

She switched off her own. "It proved to be a pleasure, Sasuke-sama. I shall ask Haku to move my stuff from the captain's cabin."

Sasuke froze.

"I am sure Iruka can find me some locker space in the crew room.," she continued.

"But…"

"I have to say, it will be pleasant to be able to share the evening meal with others."

Sasuke's mind was full of all the reasons he did not want to be captain. Then it settled abruptly on the most important: no Naruto.

Tsunade's smile widened as she saw realisation dawn. "You'll have Haku one night in twelve and you can always assign him extra duty during the day."

The thought of fucking Haku was almost as bad as the idea of not fucking Naruto. "Tsunade-sama!"

She looked at him with blatantly false incomprehension. "Yes, Captain?"

"Please do me the honour of accepting command."

Her smile was becoming more and more predatory. "I am looking forward to having regular access to Ji-chan's cock," she told him.

"Tsunade-sama, please, I don't know enough to be captain."

"It will be good experience for you. How many days to Tarrasade, Kakashi?"

"Fastest route is fifteen days, Tsunade-san," Kakashi replied, "but that is twenty-eight jumps. There is eight jump option, through secure systems, but that will take forty-two days."

Two jumps a day would make everyone too disorientated to function. Forty-two days without Naruto?

"Which would you choose, Sasuke-san?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke frowned at her. "If those were the only two options? Forty-two days."

"See, that was a captain's decision. It was not so difficult. You will be fine."

"Stop teasing the boy, Tsunade-san," Kakashi said.

Sasuke's spirit lifted. He tried again. "Tsunade-sama, I respectfully request that you accept command."

Her smile softened. "I accept command.. Do not worry, Sasuke-sama, even on a Traditional ship command in battle is sometimes delegated. If you had not offered, I would have transferred battle command to Kakashi."

Sasuke felt his skin flush. Kakashi would have been the better choice. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Sasuke-sama, we would have lost," Kakashi assured him. "I had no right to issue the call to battle and I would never have attempted those high velocity moves. As for resurrecting the 'voice in my ear' role, Shikamaru would now follow you to the edge of the Universe"

Sasuke looked into Kakashi's eye. "That was true before," he admitted. "You found Shikamaru. I have never thanked you for that."

"You found Neji, who may prove to be equally or more important."

"And then there is Naruto," Tsunade added, "the fox-boy who taught you to be human."

Sasuke did not dispute it. "My heart," he stated. "Shikamaru is my brain and Neji will be my judgement but Naruto is my heart."


	31. Shikamaru

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you to those who have left one and special thanks to those whose regularly review.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**31. Shikamaru**

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It had only taken Shikamaru the time between meeting Neji and the Silver Leaf lifting into orbit to work out that Neji was a Hyuga.

There had been many clues. Firstly, Sasuke trusted him. The idea of Sasuke trusting an outsider was strange; this Neji had to be something extraordinary. He did not look extraordinary. He had looked... ...uncared for. His hair was badly cut, his clothes had been worn and he was so thin that it edged on skeletal.

Secondly, weird stuff had happened that had never happened before. Iruka had overruled Kakashi about Neji being brought onto the ship. Iruka had used his authority as queen, over Kakashi, in front of younger members of the crew, when they were off ship. Shikamaru would have bet a large number of credits on never seeing that.

Both Sasuke and Haku had shown that they felt protective of him. They had been determined that Neji should be allowed onto the ship. Haku had asked Sasuke, by name, to make it happen. They had both wanted to be where Neji would see them when he came out of the container. Sasuke had wanted that more than he wanted to continue his hug with Naruto.

And the way Sasuke had introduced Neji to Naruto. Yes, Neji had to be something extraordinary.

After that it was deduction. What type of person would Sasuke value that highly and could influence others' behaviour?

It helped that Shikamaru had researched Hyuga. Of course he had researched Hyuga. He spent most of his spare time planning how Sasuke was going to establish a new Uchiha that would, in ways Shikamaru did not yet know, make history that people did not forget. History of which spacers sung.

Great men, the type who made history, sacrificed chunks of their fortunes, vast amounts of credit that would buy a fleet of ships, to buy the services of a Hyuga. Sasuke's father had employed one. Unfortunately, none of Shikamaru's projected budgets even hinted at an income that could stretch to the services of a Hyuga.

Hair colour: yes. Skin colour: yes. Build: close enough, Hyuga were known to be slim rather than bulky. Eye colour: he was wearing contact lenses.

Shikamaru had no idea how a Hyuga had come to be living on Chanx but Neji was one. He had been certain. Neji was a Hyuga and Sasuke knew it.

He had thought of the implications during lift. By the Lady, the idea of it had been exciting. Shikamaru had tried to stop his mind running away with the idea but he had never been good at restricting the scope of his dreams. He had told himself that Neji may not be trained, and therefore have limited impact, but had still found himself reviewing every timescale, modifying each step in every alternative plan.

He had been pleased when Iruka-sensei had asked him to set up Neji's bunk. Neji had been quiet and unfailingly polite. He had agreed to come to the galley when Shikamaru had been certain he would excuse himself to sleep.

When Neji refused to discuss what had happened on the planet, because Sasuke and Haku would want to tell them, Shikamaru had decided that he liked him.

Then there had been the strangeness that followed. Neji asking if he would stay and Shikamaru knowing, but not knowing how he knew, that Neji needed to be told to take out his contact lenses. The layers of subconscious communication and mutual insight between them had defied analysis.

Shikamaru had found himself telling Iruka that Neji could not cope. When had Shikamaru ever been quicker than Iruka-sensei to see that someone was in trouble? And the way Neji had looked, that bone-deep exhaustion and the way his pride had stopped him yielding to it. It had been the first time in his life that Shikamaru had wanted to look after someone.

Sasuke had suggested the game of Go with a look in his eye that warned Shikamaru that Neji was likely to be a worthy opponent. It had been amazing. Watching Neji play had been utterly compelling. At first his stillness had been suitable, then likeable, then interesting, then attractive and, by the fifth evening, erotic. Realising that Neji had a chance to win had raised Shikamaru to dizzying heights. The moment the long, elegant fingers had placed the white stone was better than any climax.

Shikamaru was in love with Neji.

On the heels of that realisation had come the battle. Sasuke had stepped up to lead and, without hesitation, given Shikamaru the 'voice in his ear' role. He had said the words Shikamaru had dreamed of hearing since he had deduced Sasuke's identity; the exact words the greatest Uchiha leader in history had always used about his closest advisor. The words that Shikamaru had thought Sasuke would never use because those two men had been lovers, which he and Sasuke could never be.

Sasuke's decision making had been faultless. He had taken the initiative rather than waiting for someone else to start the battle. He had issued the Uchiha call to battle, which was infamous and would make any commander reconsider his position. He had used all the information Shikamaru had fed him and the full range of Naruto's astonishing ability. He had displayed typical Uchiha ruthlessness. The complete absence of any hesitation had been admirable.

Shikamaru had even got to use the Uchiha battle livery he had recreated over a standard before.

It took the rest of that day to make it through the gate. There was a token check for survivors; a direct hit on a ship's power plant caused an explosion that left nothing bigger than a pebble. Then there were the negotiations with their new allies. The weakest, the Estelle, proved to be a small, traditional crew. The Birch and the Beech were opportunists who were delighted to have thrown their lot in with the winner. The four ships agreed to continue the alliance for the next three jumps with options open after that. The pair wanted to know if the Silver Leaf had a new type of gun. When assured this was not the case they hinted that they might stay the course to Tarrasade just to meet the gunner.

They jumped in sequence: Beech, Silver Leaf, Estelle, Birch.

They were at battle stations for over three hundred minutes by the time Kakashi stood them down. Shikamaru's chair was behind its panel in a trice and he was out of the lab. After a moment's hesitation he decided on the crew room. He could hear Shino behind him.

They reached it just after Naruto and Sasuke, who had no battle chairs to stow but had taken time to find each other. Shikamaru skidded to a halt a short distance from Sasuke. Part of him wanted to perform some formal gesture of respect but then Naruto was hugging him and he was hugging back and Sasuke had that tiny smile that was more about his eyes than his lips.

The others started to arrive, first Ibiki and then Rin and Neji and finally Kakashi. They all watched Kakashi kiss Iruka before he did what Shikamaru half wished he had done: he kowtowed to Sasuke. Sasuke flushed red and threaten to join him on the floor unless Kakashi stood up. As Kakashi stood up Sasuke hugged him, even though Sasuke never hugged anyone other than Naruto.

In the happy chaos that followed, with everyone trying to use the showers or find clean clothes, Shikamaru managed to find a quiet moment with Rin.

"Rin-san, I made you an offer, a long time ago," he said to her. "I have to withdraw that offer. I do not know if that means anything to you, but I needed to tell you."

"Thank you for telling me," Rin answered. She glanced in the direction of Neji's bunk. "You are one crazy dreamer, Shika-kun. Why can't you hanker for someone easy?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

Her voice dropped. "He's been through a lot. Those kinds of experiences leave more damage than is apparent on the surface."

Shikamaru's skin felt suddenly chill. He nodded.

They invited the Captain to dinner, even though it was pushing the boundaries of acceptability. She sat at one end of the table and Iruka at the other, with everyone else arranged down the sides. After the meal and the formal conversation were over she excused herself and Jiraiya escorted her back to her cabin. Shikamaru guessed that no one would mention it if it was some time before Jiraiya returned.

Naruto and Sasuke vanished, followed by Iruka and Kakashi. As soon as Iruka was safely ensconced in his bunk, Shino produced the whisky and Ibiki the dice. Shikamaru saw Haku about to ask if either Shikamaru or Neji wanted to join in but Rin stopped him. She pushed him into the galley and slid the door shut, leaving Shikamaru with Neji.

"Don't say it," Neji ordered before Shikamaru could open his mouth. "I would prefer you not to ask so I do not have to reject you. It is no reflection on you personally, Shikamaru-san. I do not become intimate with people. In addition, becoming intimate with you would be particularly ill-advised as we both hope to work closely with Sasuke-sama and with each other for many standards." He stood up. "I shall go to my bunk now. I suggest you join the others in the galley."

It was not the outcome Shikamaru had imagined. He sighed. More unrequited love: he had already had enough of that to last a lifetime.

They were in the middle of the Meeting called to promote Sasuke to crew when Shikamaru made the decision. He was fed up of accepting it when the person he wanted rejected him. He would make Neji change his mind. He would woo him.

He needed a plan.

He started by quizzing Haku while they and Shino were working on in the temporary hydroponics. Shikamaru liked growing things. When Haku realise where the conversation was going he stopped working and stared at him.

"You are trying to seduce Neji?" he checked.

Shikamaru nodded.

Haku shook his head. "You haven't a hope."

That was worrying, Haku was rarely so direct. "Explain," Shikamaru insisted.

"He likes women."

Shikamaru tried to rally. "Perhaps he likes men too."

Haku conceded the point. "He likes routine. He likes tidy. He likes little things done perfectly. He doesn't need to talk much. You hate all the things he likes. Worse, he likes looking after people and you don't need looking after."

Shikamaru wanted to look after Neji. "Is there anything about me you think he likes?"

Haku reconsidered. "You play Go and you are clean," he decided.

It was a depressing start to his campaign.

"He does find you attractive," Shino said suddenly.

Shikamaru looked at him.

"Neji. He couldn't take his eyes off you when he first met you. When you were wearing the leather, with your hair down and the purple lipstick." Shino was motionless at the memory. "Can't blame him."

Haku frowned. "It's a start. Iruka and Kakashi probably didn't have much in common when they met. I'll think about it."

Later, in the lab, Shino surprised him by bringing up the subject again.

"You and Neji. Haku's wrong, you have a lot in common," he said.

Shikamaru waited.

"You are both so clever that it isolates you. You are both lonely. You both yearn for someone to understand what you are thinking. That's why you are both attracted to Sasuke. Make friends with him, Shika. Tell him about your plans for the future. Draw him into your world. The crazy world where you have full Uchiha battle livery ready in case Sasuke has need of it."

Shikamaru could feel his skin reddening.

"There. That." Shino told him. "If he can resist that vulnerability he is a lot harder a man than I think he is."

Shikamaru decided to move forward on the friendship front, even if he was not sure about telling Neji about all his plans. He and Shino reorganised the lab so that a third person could work there. Shikamaru imagined everything Neji would want to know if he were Sasuke's Hyuga, found it in amongst his data and organised it for use by someone who was tidy and methodical. He had almost finished the task when Jirarya arrived and told Shino to find somewhere else to be.

"What are you doing, Shikamaru?" he asked.

Shikamaru did not look at him or stop working. "You know what I am doing. You've been watching me since the first of your alarms was triggered, two hundred and thirty minutes ago."

"Why are you doing it?"

Shikamaru decided on part of the truth. "Neji will need it."

"We all need it," Jiraiya told him. "Well, not all of it. Some of your selections would only be of use to a Hyuga."

Shikamaru paused. He was doing this for Neji. If it became for everyone it would devalue his gift. "I will make another, more generalised version, with better access." He swallowed. Trusting the old pervert never came easily to him. "I will do that and give everyone access to it in ten days time. This is for Neji. I intend to give it to him as soon as it is ready."

Jiraiya was silent for a few moments and then laughed. "A love gift, Shika-kun? How touching."

Shikamaru felt his skin flare red.

"So Neji is your latest crush."

Shikamaru wanted to say that this time it was not a fleeting, adolescent obsession. He stopped himself. He did not want to give Jirarya any more ammunition.

Jiraiya looked about the lab. "It's all going to change. You do realise that?"

Shikamaru finally looked at him. "Of course it is going to change. We can't change the world without changing with it. Damn it, old man, you want this. You want it even more than I do. Sometimes I think the two of us want it more than Sasuke does."

"He wants it. Leaders cannot afford to think too much. It inhibits their decision-making capacity. He already has a tendency to over think."

"No sign of that during the battle," Shikamaru replied, unable to resist a smile at the memory of it.

Jiraiya smiled in return. "No. It was very promising," he admitted. "You have your ten days, Shika-kun."


	32. Neji

iApologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment./i

Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.

32. Neji

Life on the Silver Leaf was good. It was ordered and pleasant. Iruka-san insisted on proper behaviour. The ship was very clean and, for the most part, tidy. Other than Shikamaru's almost proposition, no one but Haku had suggested fucking. Haku had come to him one morning and told him that this was his day on the twelve-day rotation of the cat's attention. Neji had assured him that he had no need of him and that had been the end of it. It was very civilised.

Being surrounded by others fucking did not bother Neji. The relationship between Iruka and Kakashi was very sound, better than many of the marriages he remembered from his childhood. Sasuke and Naruto were the epitome of young lovers with the added interest of Naruto being a hybrid. Neji could see that adding Naruto to the story of the Last Uchiha would make it even more compelling. The casual fucking that the others indulged in appeared to be friendly and good-natured. They all treated Haku very well, even when he was at his most difficult.

Neji tried not to dwell on how different his life would have been if he had catted with such a crew.

At first Neji spent most of his days in the infirmary. Rin was determined to make him healthy, which was providing her with a challenge. Sasuke had also asked her to grow his hair. Neji had tried to persuade Sasuke out of that; he was not a Hyuga. Sasuke refused. He told Neji that he could do what he liked with his hair, even shave his head, once they had dealt with the reception that would be waiting for them on Tarrasade. First impressions were going to count greatly. The images captured would wend their way through known space. Having what looked like a Hyuga at his side was too good an opportunity to miss. Neji brought up the possibility that the Hyuga would be offended. Sasuke agreed that they would discuss it but that Neji's hair must be long for the option to be a possibility. The alternative was a wig. Neji reluctantly deferred. Long hair was better than a wig.

The battle had been very informative. Neji had gone over every moment of it several times. It was the only example of Sasuke's leadership that was available for him to analyse. Sasuke had trusted his crew to perform up to the limit of their abilities. That encouraged individuals to perform but it required them to be capable of maximising their performance under pressure. Naruto was the perfect example of such an individual. This had implications when it came to recruiting. There were few individuals of the quality of Naruto or, indeed, of Shikamaru.

Neji tried not to think too much about Shikamaru. Defeating Shikamaru at Go had not given Neji any delusions about their relative intelligences. Neji had won because Shikamaru's behaviour gave him tiny clues about the strategy he should be pursuing. Subconsciously, or maybe even consciously, Shikamaru had wanted to be defeated.

Shikamaru was a type of lateral thinking genius so rare that statistics were meaningless. Neji had asked Jiraiya and he had confirmed that the Uchiha had devoted considerable resources to finding such individuals. The genetic line that produced Shikamaru had been flagged as a possibility and male children of that line were always tracked. Kakashi had cross-referenced cat application videos against the list, even after the massacre. When he had seen Shikamaru's video he had told Jiraiya that he must persuade the Captain to get the Silver Leaf to the boy's home system as quickly as possible. Five other crews had been interested. Kakashi had been willing to challenge to have him, but it had not been necessary. One meeting between Iruka and the boy's mother ensured that they recruited him.

Given who he was, Shikamaru appeared surprisingly normal. To someone who did not know he seemed a little naïve and immature, inclined to daydream and occasionally to babble, but delightfully lacking in artifice.

To someone like Neji, who knew enough to have some inkling of what was happening in his mind, this was the visible surface of something very deep, very complex and terrifyingly able.

Rin had finally cut down his time in the infirmary to one hundred minutes per day. That freed Neji for other duties and he and Naruto were on the cleaning rota together. They had been assigned the pressurised storage bays, including the gym. Naruto would give an inadequate description of what they should do and then Neji would copy what he actually did, with any improvements that suggested themselves; Naruto was not talented at cleaning. He was also not in a good mood. Neji did not know Naruto well enough to know why or what the consequences might be. He stayed quiet and cleaned.

"Why don't you like him?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Neji was lost. "Who?"

"Shi-chan."

It took Neji a moment to understand. "Shikamaru-san? What makes you think I do not like him?"

"You turned him down." Naruto pushed one of the storage crates with a little too much force. It crashed into the next. "The people he likes always turn him down."

Neji was very still. He was suddenly and acutely aware of what Naruto was.

Naruto inhaled, looked contrite and sat on the floor. "I did not mean to frighten you, Neji-san. Please do not be scared."

Neji realised that Naruto had smelt his fear. "You can be a little frightening, Naruto-san," he admitted and made himself relax enough to sit on one of the crates.

"You are like Haku," Naruto observed. "Bad men have hit you. Now I know I will be even more careful not to scare you."

"Thank you, Naruto-san," Neji said, knowing that his voice sounded rather faint.

"I catted for some bad crews. I was lucky. I am tougher than a purebred human." His eyes were soft with sympathy. "It must have been even worse for you than for Haku. He can pretend but you see too much."

Neji managed a very small smile. "Yes, pretence can be a defence. With Haku it can even be an attack."

Naruto smiled in return. "Haku is Haku," he acknowledged. "Why did you turn Shi-chan down?"

Neji stiffened. "It is not something I wish to discuss."

"I do. I am Shi-chan's best friend. I need to know why the people he likes turn him down. Rin turned him down. He said it was because she loves Kakashi. She said it is because he is too young for her. What are your reasons?"

Neji teetered on the edge of making a decision. He could refuse to answer, he could give the secondary reason, the one he had used with Shikamaru, or he could take this opportunity to develop his insight into Naruto, into Shikamaru and maybe into himself. He took the plunge.

"I am frightened of him," he admitted.

Naruto frowned. "Why? Shi-chan would never hit you. He is kind."

"He is terrifyingly clever."

"Huh," Naruto said and then was silent. After a while he spoke. "Neji-san, I have ripped a man's throat out with my teeth. I could snap a man's spine. I have fangs. I go berserk. I can lose my temper and almost kill a friend by mistake. Sasuke knows all that. He had seen most of it. Yet he still loves me. He trusts me to fuck him. His love is the best thing in my life." He took a deep breath. "Shi-chan goes to Rin and to you because you can understand what he is. Neither Rin nor you trust him enough even to try. I understand now why he is so sad."

Neji was glad he was sitting down. Naruto's words were like being punched in the gut. "What you have with Sasuke is very special," he whispered. "It takes two amazing people to make it work."

"Shi-chan is amazing," Naruto assured him. "Maybe you could be too." The beautiful blue eyes dulled. "Only bad things had happened to me before I came here. I survived by letting men fuck me. I was terrified that someone would terminate me if I went berserk. I was too scared to stop them hitting me. Then I was him and now I am me." He stood up. "You think about it. There is lots of time. Shi-chan will not give up for ages. That is the way he is." He began walking away. "I will go clean the gym now so that you can think."

Neji sat and thought. Then he cleaned and thought. Even when the cleaning was finished the thinking went on.

He was still thinking about it in the infirmary the next morning. This time Rin had him encased in supergens. He could not escape the thought that she was experimenting on him. He could feel the 'bots crawling in his scalp stimulating his hair growth; the sensation was remarkably unpleasant. He rehearsed a few questions in his head before settling on one.

"Rin-san, what do you think of Naruto?" he asked.

Rin froze suddenly and then worked faster than she had before. "You've had all that training, so I know it is pointless lying to you. I think he has astonishing physical abilities, which make him a great fighter. He also lacks self-control, which makes him extremely dangerous. Otherwise he is a pleasant youngster. I confess that I am not as fond of him as are the other members of the crew."

Neji smiled.

"What is so amusing?" Rin demanded.

"I am thinking that a relationship between you and Shikamaru was unlikely to be successful," he replied.

Rin snorted. "He had a crush on me. Such things happen."

"You were not tempted?" Neji asked, modulating his tone to lead her into a more detailed answer.

"He is odd," she confessed. "I know I am odd but he is odd in a different way. Usually he is just Shikamaru but sometimes he looks at you and you get a glimpse of the way he thinks." She shuddered.

Neji remembered one of those looks, in the galley, that first evening on the ship. Naruto had been correct. Rin was frightened of Shikamaru.

He would be better than Rin.

He was almost ready to leave when Shino's voice came over the intercom asking him to come to the lab as soon as was convenient. Once Rin had rid him of the irritating scalp 'bots he was on his way. He pushed his hair back from his face. It had already grown to that irritating intermediate length where it was too long to have loose but too short to tie back. He would have to ask Haku for some ideas.

The lab looked different. Before he could analyse what it was Shino was gesturing towards a chair and console.

"We thought you needed somewhere to work," he explained, "so we moved stuff to make space."

Neji focused on Shikamaru. He was standing to one side, his hands thrust deep in his pockets. "That was thoughtful of you Shino-san, Shikamaru-san. Thank you."

"Try it out," suggested Shino.

Neji sat down. It was a chair and a console, but it had been put there for his benefit. "It will be excellent," he assured them. He heard a slight scuffle behind him and caught a glimpse of Shino pushing Shikamaru forward.

"I've been collecting information relevant to the Uchiha for a while," Shikamaru began. "Only it hasn't been organised for other people to use. So I thought, maybe I would take the stuff out that might be useful for you and, you know, organise it in a way that would suit someone… …tidy. So I found out about the way Hyuga organise their information, at least what I could, because they are pretty damn secretive, and I came up with this."

The overhead holo display sprang into life. Neji's heart rate increased. The user interface looked similar to the ones he had used as a child. It was even controlled by the same combination of changes of position of the head and direction of gaze. He burrowed down one line of enquiry. There was so much information. This was a subset of what Shikamaru had? He came back to a branch point and went another way.

"You can change the way it is organised if you want," Shikamaru continued.

Neji came back to the start point. "It is wonderful, Shikamaru-san." He spotted Shino slipping out into the corridor and gently closing the hatch.

"I listened when you said we couldn't be… …intimate 'cos we have to work together and it made me think that the least I could do was make it easier for us to work together and, maybe, in time, perhaps, we could become… ..friends because maybe Shino's right and I need a friend who can understand how I think more than I need a lover," Shikamaru finished with a rush.

Neji rotated his chair, reached for Shikamaru's belt and pulled him towards him. "Sorry to disappoint, Shikamaru-san, but no one can understand the way you think. You'll just have to put up with a lover who is willing to try."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "It worked?" One of his hands came out of his pocket and gestured at the display. "It was that easy?" he asked, disbelievingly.

Neji smiled. "It is a wonderful present but, no, I am not that easy. I had a very illuminating conversation with Naruto yesterday. It made me question my motives for refusing you."

"Na-chan?"

"Yes, your Na-chan. He understands you remarkably well and cares about you very much."

"We are best friends," Shikamaru admitted.

"It won't be smooth, Shikamaru-san. I have had some bad experiences. It is hard for me to let someone touch me."

"We can be celibate," Shikamaru suggested. "I've thought about it. No fucking. No rubbing. No sucking. Just handholding and kissing. For as long as you want."

Neji wondered again how Shikamaru's mind worked: spacer celibate lovers? "That would be nice," he admitted.

"And maybe some touching," added Shikamaru, reaching out with one hand to push back some wayward locks of Neji's hair.


	33. Naruto

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

I really appreciate any feedback, especially reviews. Reviews help on two levels. They encourage me to keep writing and they help me improve my work. Thank you to those who have left a review and particularly to those who review regularly.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**Any scene considered too graphic has been replaced by oo******oo**

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**33. Naruto**

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Naruto was glad that Shikamaru was happy. Why Shi-chan was so happy when he and Neji were not even fucking was beyond Naruto but he did not let it bother him. His best guess was that Neji did not like fucking in the same way that Sasuke had not liked fucking.

Naruto smiled. He hoped that Shikamaru was as successful in changing Neji's mind as he had been in changing Sasuke's. He pulled Sasuke closer to him and smelt his hair. Sasuke was so accustomed to it that he did not even stir in his sleep.

He could hear Iruka-sensei alone in the galley. Naruto slipped noiselessly out of the bunk, slipped down to the floor and padded quietly to the head and then to the closet. He grabbed the first pair of pants and top that looked like it would fit and joined Iruka in the galley.

Iruka smiled at him and offered breakfast.

"Jump today," Iruka acknowledged as he filled Naruto's plate. "Hopefully it will be less eventful than last time."

That explained why Iruka was up so early. He was anxious about the possibility of another battle. "We have friends this time," Naruto reminded him.

"And more time has elapsed for the news to spread. It was never the plan for Sasuke to travel openly on a ship like this. Its travel is too predictable, because it has to use gates."

Naruto tried to remember everything he had been taught about travelling in space. "So we have a ship with a Mulligan drive from now on, one that can jump through ungated holes." He wrinkled his nose. "It'll be huge and slow."

Iruka put an empty plate on the table. "The mother ship will be large and slow to change direction." He placed a number of teacups on it. "The smaller ships docked inside are more like the Silver Leaf. The mother ship allows the smaller ships to jump without a gate. They have the option of jumping through a gate on their own or through an ungated hole in the mother ship."

Naruto tapped the edge of the plate with a nail. "Uchiha owns ships like this mother ship?"

"Yes." The voice was from the doorway. It was Kakashi, wearing nothing but a loose pair of pyjama pants. "Like all Uchiha ships they are docked in storage bays or rented out."

"Shirt, 'Kashi," Iruka insisted.

Naruto ate nothing while waiting for Kakashi to return. When Kakashi sat down at the table he asked his question. "How soon could we expect one of these Uchiha mother ships here so that we can take a less predictable route to Tarrasade? Before an escort of ships to take us through the gates?"

Kakashi's bit his top lip. Naruto knew that was a bad sign. He pushed harder.

"Tarrasade will have received the first messages from Chanx twenty-two days ago. We are half expecting an escort of ships from Tarrasade at the jump in four days time. But if it is a mother ship using ungated holes, we could expect them sooner than that. Maybe even at this jump. Kakashi-san, why haven't we been talking about this?" Naruto asked.

"We have," Kakashi admitted.

Naruto was annoyed. "It has not been discussed at a ship's Meeting or an Uchiha meeting." He tapped the plate bearing the teacups. "These mother ships allow free movement between the ships docked in them, yes? They would expect to meet Sasuke in person. He will be wearing his knife and we have nothing worked out. The first possible face-to-face meeting is not on Tarrasade in twenty-nine days time, it is today or tomorrow. I needed to know this, Kakashi. Why was I not included?"

"Naru-kun…" Iruka began.

Naruto cut him off. "No, Iruka-sensei. I need to hear from Kakashi."

Kakashi bit his lip again. "It never occurred to us to discuss the mother ship scenario in detail. The escort of ships is more probable and that was discussed with the whole crew. You are correct. There is a possibility that there will be a mother ship at this gate. If there is, there could be a face-to-face meeting. This is not a scenario we have discussed. That was an error."

Naruto waited.

"If you had been included in the discussions you would have seen it. As you saw it now." Kakashi conceded.

Naruto pushed his plate away. "Please think about the way you see me, Kakashi-san. I am more than an attack dog to protect Sasuke from immediate danger." He stood up. "If I wake Sasuke now, he and I can run through the signals and some possible scenarios before we go to battle stations. Can someone improvise a set of bodyguard tags? It would be helpful."

He walked purposely to their bunk and swung himself up. Sasuke was still sleeping peacefully. Naruto calmed himself and gently shook him awake.

They ran through their positions, the wording and the hand signals in front of Ibiki. The big man was not happy with what he was seeing.

"This is very rushed," Ibiki complained. "Sasuke, your hand needs to be higher. Your body is shielding the signal. Naruto, exuding that much aggression is unwise as well as unnecessary." He looked beyond them. "Is it urgent, Kakashi-san?"

"I have these for Naruto," Kakashi said, proffering a deep box the size of a hand.

Naruto did not move forward to take it.

"Please, Naruto-san. I was forced into giving you the plaque. These I give you of my own free will. As a gift. He died before I got to wear them. He died when I should have been beside him wearing them."

Naruto still did not move.

"Naruto!" Sasuke chided.

Naruto finally stepped forward and took the box. "I accept the gift and I am honoured, Kakashi-sensei. I will wear them with pride and in memory of the love the two of you shared. It does not address the other matter."

Kakashi took a deep breath. "We were wrong. Please accept my apology. It is nothing to do with you being a hybrid. It is that we have not adapted to you being an adult and not the boy who first came into our lives."

Naruto bowed slightly. "I accept your apology."

Sasuke looked from one to another, "Kakashi-sensei?" he queried.

"It is between Naruto-san and me, Sasu-kun," he answered.

"And it is resolved," Naruto added.

"Is there time to look at them?" Sasuke asked.

Ibiki smiled. "I think checking the fit is part of the preparation," he suggested.

They went to the low table. Everyone about crowded around with those who knew what was in the box telling those who did not. The more beautiful the tags, the more the bodyguard meant to him guarded. These were an Uchiha's tags for his Beloved.

Naruto opened the lid.

They were exquisite. The ear tags were sinuous masterpieces of platinum wire studded with sapphires and diamonds. Naruto lifted out the first tray and was relieved to see that the tags for wrists and throat were more practical; solid platinum choker and cuffs with sapphires and diamonds embedded in patterns that reflected the curves in the ear tags. At the front of the choker was a setting for the plaque.

"Good," Sasuke stated.

Naruto flushed. Trust Sasuke to be worried that they would be too plain. He hated to think what he would be wearing if Sasuke had designed them for him. He lifted out the second tray. At the bottom of the box were the much simpler but matching earrings and bracelets for Sasuke to wear.

Sasuke took each piece in turn from the box and fastened it to Naruto's body. Each fitted, even the choker. Haku brought a mirror so that Naruto could see. The ear tags hugged the outer edge of his whole ear. The way they ended at the top made the tips of his ears look pointed. Naruto liked that.

He risked looking at Kakashi, who stood with his arm around Iruka. He noticed that Kakashi, who usually dressed so plainly, was wearing various pieces of jewellery: a pendant on a leather thong, a plaited bracelet and earrings. He realised that these must have been presents from Iruka and that Kakashi had taken care to put them on before Iruka had to witness the evidence of Obito's ardent love for him. The gesture brought tears to Naruto's eyes. He blinked them back as he turned away. Shikamaru and Neji were holding hands. It was nice.

Passing through the gate was an anticlimax. There was no mother ship on either side of the gate and the ships they encountered were careful to announce that they were queuing. The decision to allow a report of the battle to be relayed light speed towards Tarrasade appeared to have been a good one.

Once they were through the gate they had an Uchiha meeting in the crew room where they discussed all possible scenarios and decided which tasks were the most urgent. The priorities proved to be clothes, in case they met a mother ship, and food, in case they did not and therefore had to survive on their meagre supplies until Tarrasade.

That evening Kakashi asked Sasuke to play for them. Instead of playing one piece and then encouraging them to sing, as he usually did, Sasuke continued playing. Naruto sat at his feet. Haku sat staring at Sasuke, as he always did when Sasuke played. Iruka was sitting in Kakashi's lap, held in his arms. Neji was sitting on one of the couches and Shikamaru was lying curled beside him with his head on Neji's thigh. Neji fingers were petting Shikamaru's hair. Ibiki, Shino and Rin were sitting at the galley table, listening while they drank what purported to be tea. Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen but Naruto knew he was sitting on his bunk, transfixed.

Later, in their bunk, Sasuke stripped for him, his body moving to the music he hummed.

**oo******oo**

Naruto had never seen him more beautiful.


	34. Sasuke

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Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

Thank you to those who have left a review, particularly those who review regularly. Reviews are always welcome and encourage me to keep writing.

_

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**34. Sasuke**

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Sasuke was sewing. He had fought his first battle and been promoted to crew but neither saved him from the consequences of being the best seamster the crew had to offer. Logic dictated that he should be in the closet sewing, along with Haku, Iruka and, of all people, Ibiki. He was still annoyed that Rin refused to admit that sewing would default from surgery. At least Shino had been willing to try, even if he had caused more work than he completed; Iruka had sent him back to the lab.

"We will never get caught out like this again," Iruka grumbled for the fifth or possibly the sixth time.

"We are sure that a more casual look was not acceptable?" Ibiki checked.

"You saw what we looked like. Would you want that image in every database across known space?" asked Haku.

They had tried with the best the closet had to offer. They looked like themselves, an ordinary Traditional spacer crew with no concept of image or style. They had looked better in their slutty disguises, the truth of which had given Haku his starting point.

Naruto was in the crew room with one pair of each person's boots and instructions to get them to precisely the same shade of highly polished dark brown. Shikamaru had cooked up the solvents, bleaches, dyes and polishes he would need using the synthesiser in the infirmary. Naruto had recruited Kakashi and Jiraiya. Even from the closet, Sasuke could hear Jiraiya's constant stream of complaint.

Sasuke was on jackets. They had dug out a bolt of dark blue cloth from the back of the closet and selected a short, well-cut jacket. The advantage and disadvantage of the jacket is that it was constructed from many pieces of fabric. This was good because it hung well, looked expensive and it was possible to get more jackets out of the fabric. The disadvantage was that each jacket involved a lot of sewing.

Shikamaru and Neji had disassembled the jacket, created pattern pieces, modified them to fit each crewmember and then calculated that they could, just, get eleven of the short jackets out of the bolt of cloth. Sasuke had caught himself hanging over Shikamaru's shoulder telling him about grain, bias, nap, seam allowances and that the fabric had a tendency to fray. He felt acute embarrassment each time the memory resurfaced.

Shikamaru and Neji had been triumphant when they had brought the eleven small piles to the closet. Sasuke had to admit they had done a marvellous job. They had even treated the cut edges to prevent fraying.

The next hurdle was lack of pins. Neji understood the construction of the jacket well enough to pin sections together for Sasuke to sew but they only had one small box of pins. Then Shino arrived with more pins than they could possibly need cut from stiff wire. Although blunt, they were fine for the looser weave fabric they were using for the jackets. The sharp, steel pins were collected and given to Haku, who, with Ibiki's help, was battling with altering leather pants to fit the people who had not worn them in Soutash.

Rin had the tricky job of making the disparate pants as uniform as possible without stiffening the leather. After a great deal of grumbling, she gave in and tanked them. She then settled down to programme the 'bots.

Iruka was systematically making eleven black mesh sleeveless tops. A crewmember in the past must have had a thing about black mesh because there was no shortage of it. The crew had been warned to find suitable black undergarments if they felt any need to wear them. Haku's would be lined: no crew would expose their cat's chest.

Shikamaru's outfit had been chosen as the sample because his leather pants were already the desired colour. By the evening of the day after the jump Shikamaru was standing on the low table in the crew room modelling. He looked uncomfortable and, after an aborted attempt to get his hands into the pockets of the skin-tight pants, he folded his arms across this chest and scowled.

"Perfect," announced Haku. "His hair could do with some work but the clothes are spot on. Great job on the jacket, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke acknowledged the compliment with a nod and them scowled. "We need eight badges, pins or buttons with the Uchiha crest. I'll see what I can find."

Haku's chin came up. "I don't get one then?" he queried.

Sasuke closed the gap between them and held his shoulders so that Haku could not avoid eye contact. "I want you to have one, Haku," Sasuke said. "Swear to the new Uchiha, or even to me, and you can."

For a moment Sasuke thought he would do it, but then Haku bit his lip and looked away. "I can't. Zabuza is waiting for me in Tarrasade."

Sasuke was sure he heard sighs from the others that echoed his own. He did not stop Haku twisting away from him.

"Don't worry about the badges, Sasuke-san." Shikamaru told him as he stepped down from the table. "Shino and I have that under control."

So they were ready when a mother ship in Fire Shadow livery was waiting for them on the other side of the next gate. Hiruzen-sama himself was aboard, which was unanticipated, and he requested a private conversation with Sasuke. Shino took the portable holocamera into Sasuke's tiny not-an-office and set it up so the Uchiha crest would be visible above where Sasuke was sitting. Once Shino had left, Sasuke established the connection and Hiruzen-sama's image appeared before him.

"Sasuke-kun," the old man greeted him. "You look well."

"Hiruzen-sama," Sasuke replied. "It is good to hear your voice again."

"I have a shipload of Uchiha fighters determined to rescue you." Hiruzen-sama warned him.

Sasuke flinched. "I do not need rescuing, Hiruzen-sama. The most I want is transport to Tarrasade for the Silver Leaf and our three allies. Otherwise, we will proceed to Tarrasade along the more conventional route."

Hiruzen-sama smiled. "Tell me you have been promoted to crew, Sasuke-san. If you are still cat it will be nigh impossible to convince them."

"I am crew, Hiruzen-sama."

"And Naruto-san is with you?"

"Naruto is very much with me."

"They are not positively inclined towards Naruto-san. Tenzo was their leader. It may be best for you to make very clear what Naruto-san means to you."

"We have that in hand, Hiruzen-sama."

"You have expected our arrival?"

"Not your arrival, Hiruzen-sama, that is a delightful surprise. We anticipated that a mother ship might be dispatched to proffer assistance after the unplanned incident on Chanx."

"Yes. Chanx. You resolved the situation without encountering further problems?"

Sasuke made a dismissive gesture. "It was merely inconvenient."

Hiruzen-sama amusement was obvious. "Make the offer of transport to your allies. Warn them that it may be necessary for them to remain on their ships for the duration of the journey. Whether you decide to travel with us or not, Sasu-kun, I am inviting you and your crew to spend this evening with us at a social gathering. Please extend this offer to Tsunade-sama. You can dock in bay two. I will expect you at the beginning of the last quarter of the day. Dress is likely to be rather too military for my liking."

Sasuke could not resist asking. "How many of them are with you?" he asked.

"All ten, Sasuke-kun. They are not good company. However, I have my staff and I have brought Konohamaru-kun. Whilst he says he is not looking forward to seeing you again, he is very excited at the prospect of meeting Naruto-san."

Iruka oversaw preparations while Haku battled with Neji's hair. He dealt with the uneven length of it by plaiting the front close to the head. The back was left loose and the ends trimmed. Blue eye drops enhanced the colour of his eyes slightly. The effect was Hyuga but not quite Hyuga, which was enough for Sasuke.

The badges that Shino and Shikamaru had made were fastened to each jacket's collar as insignia. Sasuke was no longer surprised that Shikamaru could conjure a way of producing twenty-two enamel on silver badges, nor that he and Shino had managed to make them. Shino had made a point of showing Haku the extra pair before he handed them to Sasuke for safekeeping.

Sasuke and Naruto dressed each other in their knives and their jewellery. Sasuke took a deep breath and took his father's ring from his lockbox. He wondered if he would ever think of it as his own. He considered and then slid the ring onto the duty finger of his left hand. His father had always worn it on his heart finger to make the point that he loved Uchiha more than he could love any individual. Sasuke did not do that. He told himself that the ring fitted better on the larger finger.

There were whistles and stamping when he and Naruto appeared. Sasuke smiled. Naruto did look magnificent. He had looked even better without the jacket, but the jacket suited him well enough. Only Jiraiya seemed unimpressed and Sasuke had to resist the urge to put his left hand behind his back. It was natural for Jiraiya to be upset; he had dedicated every step of his life to Uchiha. Sasuke wondered if the ten on the other ship would feel similarly. He began thanking each person for their effort and ingenuity. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jiraiya taking Naruto to one side. He wished he knew what they were discussing.

Naruto was waiting for him when he finished his rounds. He guided him back towards their bunk.

"Jiraiya says that there is a ring in your lockbox that belonged to your mother," Naruto told him. "Please will you get it?"

His mother's duty ring was in the lockbox, the one his father had given her. He fetched it. Naruto opened his hand and displayed a simple gold band.

"We swap," Naruto told him. He took the duty ring from Sasuke and handed him the gold band. Naruto then took Sasuke's left hand and placed his mother's ring onto his heart finger. "I love you, Sasuke," he stated.

Sasuke's heart beat faster. He understood. He took Naruto's left hand and slid the gold band onto the third finger. "I love you, Naruto."

Sasuke made sure that he walked with Jiraiya to the airlock.

"Thank you," he said simply.

Jiraiya frowned at him. "Couldn't have you with a naked heart finger. It would make them doubt the tags."

Sasuke had not thought of that. "And the ring Naruto is wearing?"

Jiraiya's skin flushed, which proved to be very disconcerting. "Someone gave it to me a long time ago. If Kakashi could give him the tags, I could give you the ring to give to him."

Sasuke waited, but the name of the giver was not forthcoming. Instead Jiraiya indicated Sasuke's left hand.

"It is right that you honour your mother. And the fact that those pretty stones are arranged in the Uchiha symbol will keep those who served the Old Uchiha happy."

Hiruzen-sama himself greeted them as they disembarked. On the old man's right was Asuma, perhaps the most approachable of the surviving Uchiha elite fighters. On his left was a youth that Sasuke was surprised to recognise as Konohamaru: in his mind's eye the boy had still been a child. The boy's eyes were riveted to Naruto. Sasuke suspected he was going to become very familiar with that reaction to Naruto's presence.

"Tsunade-sama," the old man acknowledged, "Sasuke-san, Kakashi-san, Jiraiya-san and Naruto-san. It is good to see you again. Some of you may remember Asuma-san and this is my grandson, Konohamaru-kun."

Sasuke stepped forward. "Hiruzen-sama, please allow me to introduce my other crewmates. This is Iruka-san, who looks after us all. This is Rin-san our medico and Ibiki-san, who specialises in security. This is Shino-san, of the family Aburame, Neji-san and Shikamaru-san."

The old man's eyes lingered on Neji. "And the youngster? I know what you crews are like about your cats, but allow an old man his foibles."

Sasuke glanced toward Iruka, who nodded. "His name is Haku, senpai."

"Perhaps you could relax your conventions, Iruka-san, and allow Haku-kun and Konohamaru-kun to associate. Konohamaru-kun will be joining a crew as cat some time this standard."

Sasuke was torn between fear of what Haku would say and delight at the thought of Konohamaru being shocked to his core.

"We will allow it," Iruka decided. "Haku, you will report to me every twenty minutes. I expect you to only discuss what is appropriate."

Formalities over, they began to slowly make their way in the direction Hiruzen-sama indicated. Asuma fell in beside Sasuke.

"Looking good, Sasu-kun." His eyes roved over Naruto, who had been summoned to walk beside Hiruzen-sama. "Difficult to imagine someone that gorgeous being that deadly. Nice tags." He glanced down at Sasuke's hand. "The works, hey?"

"Without reservation," Sasuke declared.

Asuma seemed surprised, then nodded. "And a Hyuga?" he queried.

"Neji-san says he is not a Hyuga," Sasuke replied.

"And the other one?" He nodded toward Shikamaru.

"Kakashi found him," Sasuke answered.

Asuma's eyebrows went up. "Keen to get him, was he?"

"Very," Sasuke confirmed.

"Rin-san finally gets to swear to Uchiha."

"I see no reasons to exclude women," Sasuke said mildly.

"True. I know some talented females who may be interested."

"I will keep that in mind."

"And Kakashi has found himself a cute bunkwarmer, that's a surprise."

Sasuke decided to keep walking rather than precipitate a scene that was likely to escalate. "We are all very fond of Iruka-sensei," he stated, his tone icy. "Personally, I owe him a great deal."

"Message received and understood, Sasuke-san." Asuma replied. "You know," he continued, "this was not the way we saw it. We thought you would come back bringing Kakashi and maybe Jiraiya and we would begin.

"Instead you turn up with a whole team. They are going to realise you have already started and that they have been left behind.

"And when they see him in the flesh," Asuma nodded towards Naruto, "they will realise just how different from your father you actually are."


	35. Konohamaru

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you to those readers who have left one.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable._

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**35. Konohamaru**

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Twenty-two days ago he had been at school, with his friends, thinking that it was a very long time before the holidays.

Then the message had arrived from his grandfather.

He still found it difficult to believe that his ojiisan had send a Mulligan drive ship to fetch him and that the crew had endured so many jumps in fast succession to speed his delivery. Konohamaru himself had been tanked to spare him the stress.

When he was woken they were docked, not with Tarrasade as he had expected, but in a Fire Shadow mother ship. Konohamaru was uncharacteristically quiet as he entered his grandfather's office. That was partly due to post-tank lethargy but mostly because he could not imagine what would have triggered Hiruzen-sama's actions.

"Sasuke is on his way back to Tarrasade," his grandfather told him.

Konohamaru's interest slumped; all this and it was just Sasuke?

His grandfather was shaking his head at Konohamaru's reaction. He activated a holoprojector, which began displaying media output from a planet called Chanx. Konohamaru took the indicated chair.

He was soon sitting straighter in his chair; this was the type of thing that their family, and particularly Sasuke, tried to avoid at all cost. He still remembered the furore when the reporter had managed to infiltrate the school at Elleton. All the media had obtained that time were a few images and they had managed to make it last days. This time they had holovideo, a riot and the news that Sasuke's ship had lifted without him.

Even Konohamaru found it riveting and he prided himself in treating his foster cousin as if he were the most boring, uninteresting person in known space; which he was.

"Is he safe?" he asked.

"He's back with his crew. They are heading for Tarrasade. They've already had to fight their way through the first gate. We've just received the report. Do you want to see it?"

Of course Konohamaru wanted to see it; it was a battle. The only interesting lessons were the ones about battles. And those about history; Konohamaru liked history.

You did not need to be an expert to see how outnumbered they were. Then, of all things, he heard Sasuke's voice. He was in command, declaring the Uchiha call to battle. And the moves were ridiculously fast. Yet they had a gunner who could hit. He hit repeatedly and perfectly on target.

Konohamaru was stunned; this type of thing only happened in his daydreams. He pulled himself together. This was not a fictional or historical hero; it was Sasuke.

"I thought he was still a cat," Konohamaru complained.

"He was," his grandfather confirmed and switched to show some of the recent media coverage in Tarrasade. In Tarrasade the media portrayed themselves as measured, balanced, sophisticated and restrained. They were acting like a mob of screaming fans. Not that there weren't screaming fans, the coverage was full of them, but the presenters and commentators weren't behaving much better.

"Oh," he heard himself say.

"The media aspect of the situation will need much careful management," Hiruzen-sama was saying.

His ojiisan had a tendency to understate. Then Konohamaru connected with that his grandfather was saying. There were other aspects?

"The Uchiha elite are not happy," Hiruzen-sama continued.

Konohamaru had spotted three of them on his way from the docking bay to the office. They had looked as they always did; scary.

"How many are here?" he asked.

"Eight. The last two will join us after the next jump. They have been limiting their distance from Tarrasade for some time, anticipating that Sasuke will soon be promoted to crew and be reconsidering his options."

"Oh." Ten of the scariest people in known space were in the same place and Konohamaru was there too; goody.

"I met with Sasuke on Tarrasade just over a standard ago."

That was news to Konohamaru.

"It was obvious even then that his time with a crew had changed him."

Again Konohamaru admired his grandfather's capacity for understatement. Sasuke the Cautious, Sasuke of the Measured Response was not a Sasuke who seized command of a ship, despite being a cat, and fought a battle that belonged in legend rather than reality.

"For example, he has taken a Beloved Companion."

The screen was busy with images of the one of the most amazing creatures he had ever seen. Konohamaru froze; such eyes and were those whiskers?

"Who is most likely the gunner in the battle."

Konohamaru's mind was full of images of the gorgeous creature manning the guns.

"And who killed Tenzo because Tenzo was unwise and challenged him."

The idea of him killing Tenzo-san in hand-to-hand combat sat less comfortably. Konohamaru swallowed. "Why are you telling me all this, Grandfather?"

"If there is a chance of catting for Sasuke's crew you will take it. Even if it means swearing to Uchiha and forsaking your duty to me and to your family."

"Jiji!" Konohamaru objected.

His grandfather switched back to the media coverage from Tarrasade. "Konohamaru-kun, this is the beginning of something great. You must not miss any chance to be part if it. It may already prove too late, but if there is chance to be involved you must take it. We will be intercepting the Silver Leaf in two days. You have two days to accustom yourself to the reality of the new situation."

Two days later Konohamaru waited for the airlock to open. He had been pleased that his ojiisan had asked Asuma-san to accompany them. Compared to the others, Asuma-san was downright genial.

"Looking forward to catting, Konohamaru-kun?" Asuma had asked as they walked toward the airlock.

Konohamaru had been careful how he answered. Asuma-san was a terrible tease. He had even teased Sasuke mercilessly. "It will be different, Asuma-san," Konohamaru had replied.

"That it will, Konohamaru-kun. Being fucked by all those men will certainly make you feel different."

Konohamaru's face was still scarlet when the airlock started to open.

By the Lady, Sasuke's Beloved was gorgeous. Tall, slim, broad-shouldered and long-limbed, he glided rather than walked. His hair was gold and his eyes were even bluer than in the holovideos. He did, indeed, have whiskers, long and slightly curved, growing from his cheeks. He was so incredible that it took a while to even notice the tags. And what tags they were; Sasuke certainly wasn't shy about declaring that this Companion was Beloved.

Konohamaru's eyes went to Sasuke and stopped there. Where had his uptight, stick up his arse, too-controlled-to-even-scowl foster cousin gone? Who was this proud, confident, sensual stranger?

He forced himself to concentrate on the introductions. Tsunade-sama was the captain and Iruka-san the queen. So that was the legendary Kakashi: he looked a lot less scary than the nine who were waiting on the viewdeck. His grandfather even managed to establish that Konohamaru was looking for a crew. Unfortunately for Hiruzen-sama's plans they had a cat, Haku, who didn't look older than Konohamaru himself and was a great deal prettier.

Haku walked beside him as they made their way to the viewdeck. Konohamaru noticed that the collar of Haku's jacket was naked of Uchiha insignia. Konohamaru did not know if he should talk or not. He knew that you didn't ask spacers personal questions. He was host, though, so he would have to think of something. When they reached the viewdeck he would offer to find Haku refreshments.

But once they were on the viewdeck it seemed better to be small and inconspicuous. On one side there were the Uchiha elite. On the other side there was Sasuke's crew. Kakashi made no attempt to bridge the gap, which left Asuma-san stranded in the middle. Sasuke's Beloved suddenly looked a lot less gorgeous and a lot more dangerous.

Then Sasuke was occupying the space between them making introductions and the tension dipped. Neatly dressed servants began circulating with trays. Konohamaru, took two cups and offered one to Haku. Haku sipped his drink and studied him. Konohamaru felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"You know him. Sasuke-sama," Haku suggested.

Konohamaru was surprised to hear such a respectful form of Sasuke's name. "Yes, we were both fostered in Hiruzen-sama's household. I was there because I was his grandson and he was there…"

"…because his crazy brother had slaughtered the rest of their family," finished Haku.

Konohamaru tensed. He was not meant to know that Itachi was responsible for the massacre. He knew that his grandfather had been determined that Sasuke should not find out. "Sasuke knows then," he checked.

Haku looked surprised. "I thought he'd always known." He looked away and shivered. "Itachi is scary."

"You've met Itachi Uchiha?" Konohamaru demanded. Everyone had been hunting Itachi forever.

"Spaced with him. Being cat on a ship with Itachi in the crew is not good. Kisame-san is nice though."

Konohamaru was back to feeling as if he was living in a daydream: wow; Kisame; the sharkman; a legend.

"That's how I ended up on the Silver Leaf," Haku explained. "Our crew challenged for Sasuke."

Konohamaru's gut twisted at the thought. That was what grandfather had always feared, that Itachi would get to Sasuke and finish what he had began. Then he thought about it; if Kisame was their champion?

"Naruto won," Haku clarified.

That was incredibly, wonderfully, indescribably amazing.

Suddenly Konohamaru wanted very much to be cat in Sasuke's crew. He found himself resenting Haku, which was unfair. He tried to make up for it by finding a plateful of nibbles for them to share.

When he returned with them Haku was watching the Uchiha elite fighters, who had broken up into pairs or trios and were spreading across the viewdeck. Haku efficiently put away his half of the food and then, when encouraged, half of Konohamaru's half. His eyes never left one or another of the groups of fighters.

When Konohamaru came back from disposing of the plate Haku gripped his forearm. "You know them, these fighters?"

Konohamaru thought about it. They had guarded Sasuke for the six standards he had lived with them. "Most of them."

"You beholden to them in any way?"

Did he feel any loyalty to them? Asuma-san, despite being a tease, had always made time to speak with Konohamaru and even to train him. Gai-san wasn't too bad: more annoying than scary. "No," he confessed. "But I like Asuma-san."

Haku guided him around the outside of the room then inwards to where the Hyuga stood with a young man. Konohamaru rehearsed their names in his head: Neji and Shikamaru. He and Haku approached them from behind and Konohamaru could not help but notice Shikamaru's arse; it was an arse well worth noticing. Haku settled at Shikamaru's side with Konohamaru on his left.

"Konohamaru knows them," he announced.

Shikamaru asked the questions. Konohamaru answered those he could and discovered that he knew less than he had thought. Neji never took his eyes off the scenes playing out in the rest of the room.

"This is not good," Neji murmured suddenly.

Shikamaru lost interest in what Konohamaru was saying. "What do you mean, 'not good'?" he asked.

Haku was gone from Shikamaru's side. Konohamaru spotted him wending his way towards Iruka. He turned back to Shikamaru, intending to excuse himself, and found Terai between them. Fu was on the other side of Neji. Shikamaru tried to move away from Terai and bumped into Hamaki, who had appeared behind him. Terai caught his elbow.

"Steady, young'un," he warned.

Konohamaru swallowed. This was very bad. The three fighters made the Silver Leaf crewmates look very young and horribly weak. Shikamaru shrank back towards Neji. Both Terai and Hamaki edged in while Fu's presence prevented Neji moving. Shikamaru was sandwiched between Terai and Hamaki. Konohamaru watched Hamaki's hand slide down his leather clad rump.

"Please d…" began Shikamaru.

"He's saying please," Terai interrupted. "I am sure we can oblige, hey Hamaki?"

"It will be a pleasure," Hamaki replied, snaking an arm about Shikamaru's waist and down to his groin. Shikamaru eeped.

Neji reached for his knife, which was, of course, exactly what they wanted. Only he didn't draw it because Shikamaru's hand had shot out and caught his wrist.

Fu smiled. "Very wise, young'un," he acknowledged. "Better fucked than dead."

Then there was blur, a slight breeze and Naruto was behind Hamaki. His mouth was by Hamaki's ear. His lips drew back into a snarl. Konohamaru saw fangs. There was a low, threatening growl. Hamaki's face went an interesting shade of grey and he slowly, carefully, removed his arm from about Shikamaru's body.

Fu moved away. Terai dropped Shikamaru's elbow and stepped back. Neji took a couple of paces to the side, pulling Shikamaru with him.

The growl faded and Naruto's lips relaxed over his teeth. He took one step back and Hamaki one forward.

"Hamaki-san, Terai-san, Fu-san," Naruto acknowledged. "We are all sworn to Uchiha but some of us are crew and some are not-crew," he warned. "The Silver Leaf's crew is very Traditional. Very old fashioned. Very proper. Perhaps it is a long time since you met such a Traditional crew."

"Most crews have more modern attitudes, Naruto-san," Fu suggested.

"We do not," Naruto stated.

Konohamaru spotted Kakashi and Iruka approaching; Haku must had alerted them. Kakashi's eye scanned the scene, pausing on Neji and Shikamaru.

"Is there a problem?" Kakashi asked.

"I am explaining that the Silver Leaf is a very Traditional crew," Naruto replied.

Kakashi nodded. "Hamaki-san, Terai-san and Fu-san know this. They know that Uchiha youths always cat in ultra-Traditional crews."

"Perhaps they had forgotten," Naruto suggested. "Whatever, they are now reminded."


	36. Kakashi

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Author's note: I am guessing from the visitor numbers that I have 80-100 regular readers and it would be nice to hear from more of you. Reviews encourage me to keep writing.

Thank you to those readers who have left a review and particular thanks to those who review regularly.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**36. Kakashi**

* * *

Kakashi had a headache, both literally and figuratively. He rubbed his temple. By the Lady, had they always been this bad? Had he ever been like that? Less than forty minutes in and they had almost lost Neji. Kakashi found himself grateful for Shikamaru's usually non-existent presence of mind and for Naruto's over-protective instincts.

"What happened?" Sasuke demanded in a low voice as Kakashi and Iruka rejoined him, leaving Naruto with Shikamaru and Neji.

"They groped Shikamaru." Kakashi told him. "They wanted Neji to challenge so they could kill him. They've never been fond of Hyuga."

"It is unacceptable," Iruka declared. "I will not have my crew exposed to men who behave like that."

Kakashi realised that Iruka was very, very angry.

"I will deal with it, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke promised.

Kakashi was not sure what Sasuke meant by that and he did not mind waiting to find out; at least until his headache subsided. "Naruto reminded them that members of the crew are off limit."

"They should not need reminding," Iruka stated. "They could also learn some manners. Even Asuma, who appears pleasant, cannot keep his eyes off our arses and a civilised tongue in his head."

Kakashi winced. He and Iruka had overheard what Asuma had said to Sasuke on the way to the viewdeck. Iruka had a long memory when it came to insults.

"Manners may need a little more work," Sasuke admitted, "but if one of them threatens one of my crewmates again he will regret it greatly, if only for an extremely short period of time."

"We need them," Kakashi reminded him.

"We could cope with a few less," Sasuke stated, "if that is what it takes for the rest of them to learn. Shikamaru or Neji is worth more than all of them combined. I will ask Hiruzen-sama if I can speak to them here after the function. Kakashi, please ask Asuma-san to ensure that they are present rather than off fucking or fighting. If possible, they should be sober."

Kakashi placed himself in Asuma's line of sight and waited until Asuma chose to acknowledge him.

"Kakashi."

"Asuma."

"Can I help you?" Asuma asked.

Kakashi realised that he should have spoken to his old friend by now. The headache must be affecting his judgement. Or perhaps his judgement was just off. He hated it when he began second-guessing himself and he had been doing that ever since they had met Itachi.

A small part of him knew he should have killed Kisame when they had him helpless. Chanx had been worse: he should have never agreed to drop there. Then there was Haku: the boy knew so much, how could they let him walk away in Tarrasade? Even the current situation; without Naruto they would have been utterly unprepared for today's meeting.

"Please," he asked and a familiar expression of concern came over Asuma's face. Had it really been over sixteen standards?

Asuma guided him to a quiet part of the viewdeck. "You have done a magnificent job, Kakashi-san," his friend told him. "We gave you a damaged boy and you have brought back a leader that men will flock to follow."

It was kind of Asuma to say so. "I built this crew to do it," he explained. "Every component of it. Even Iruka, he wasn't for me he was for Sasuke, because Sasuke had lost his family and he needed a substitute. I admit Naruto was a fluke, but I took advantage of it when the Lady dropped a neglected fox-boy into our laps. The only one I didn't find was Neji. Neji had one look at Sasuke and offered himself."

"You even found your type seven genius," Asuma observed.

Kakaski managed a very small smile. "Yes. After all those standards of looking. And all Hamaki, Terai and Fu can think about is using him as a way to kill the Hyuga before he causes them too much trouble."

Asuma grimaced. "You always were the best of us. That's why you were chosen to look after Sasuke." His voice dropped. "That was why Obito loved you."

Kakashi did not want to think about Obito. He could not afford to think about Obito. He would not look over to Naruto. He looked across. The tags suited him. Kakashi had argued so hard that they were too flashy for someone plain like him but Obito would not listen.

"Lady's teats, Kakashi," Asuma hissed. "Those are your tags, aren't they? Is this the first time you've seen him wearing them?"

"He tried them on a few days ago. I didn't think it would be this hard." Kakashi admitted. "It's all moved on too fast. There wasn't time to get any made. And it felt right. Sasuke loves him so much and Naruto is very special." He pulled himself together. "I am proud that he should wear them."

"Ka-chan…"

"Don't call me that, Asuma, please," Kakashi asked. "I have to hold myself together and help Sasuke get the Uchiha wolves back under control before they cause some irreparable damage. He wants to meet them after this is over. Here. Could you tell them?"

Asuma snorted. "I'll tell them it's an order. What's he going to say to them?"

"I wish I knew. He isn't happy. He's talking about killing a couple as an object lesson."

Asuma pursed his lips. "Not totally unlike Fugaku-kyou then."

"Perhaps," Kakashi admitted. "On second thoughts, no, he's absolutely nothing like Fugaku-kyou but, perhaps, he can behave like him when it is necessary."

It took Tsunade's intervention to persuade Naruto back to the Silver Leaf when they split the crew. She told him that it was utterly unacceptable for both him and Kakashi to stay with Sasuke. Kakashi watched Sasuke talking to him afterwards, persuading him that all would be well, that the Uchiha fighters may be dangerous but never to him and that if anyone issued a personal challenge to Sasuke, which they would not, Sasuke was still wearing his earrings and bracelets and that he would be summoned.

Finally Sasuke suggested that Shikamaru may still be feeling vulnerable. It was enough to tip the balance and saved the Captain from having to issue a direct order.

The majority of the Silver Leaf's crew left, Hiruzen-sama's party retired and the servants arranged the centre of the room as Jiraiya requested. Sasuke settled on a zabuton that looked like it was usually reserved for Hiruzen-sama. Kakashi sat on his right and Jiraiya on his left. Asuma took the mat to the right of Kakashi and Gai followed his suggestion that he occupy the position in Jiraiya's left. The remaining fighters found places around the oval and sat.

"This is the final meeting of the Old Uchiha," Sasuke begun.

Kakashi watched them, wishing that it had been appropriate for Neji to be present. They were so hard to read.

"The last nine standards have been hard," Sasuke continued. "So much was lost and so much more was let go. All that remained was a single Uchiha, you eleven and a handful of our most trusted, of whom Jiraiya-san is one.

"I, Sasuke Uchiha, thank you for your service." Sasuke bowed.

Kakashi decided that was a good choice of bow, about forty-five degrees, deep enough to have meaning. Everyone bowed more deeply in return.

"Now we move forward. It is no longer about preserving the past. It is about building a new future.

"Those who move forward will be the models, the pattern from which the future will be taken. They will also be the face of the new Uchiha. Their behaviour must be both exemplary and impeccable."

Sasuke paused briefly, giving Hamaki, Terai and Fu the opportunity to take the initiative and defuse the situation. Kakashi openly studied them. It was not going to happen. They would need to be forced.

"On Hiruzen-sama's ship," Sasuke continued, "at a social function at which Hiruzen-sama was present, I would expect the same standard of behaviour as if it were a function in the Uchiha household presided over by my mother."

Sasuke waited. Kakashi kept very still. It was a sudden escalation: by mentioning his mother, Sasuke had given them no option but to apologise. He hoped that they had enough manners to see that.

Hamaki broke first. He bowed until his forehead was a hand's breadth from the floor. "I apologise for my behaviour, Sasuke-sama. It has been many standards since I was present a such a function."

Terai and Fu bowed to a similar depth and managed acceptable apologies. Kakashi noticed that although Sasuke gave a slight bow to each, indicating that he accepted their apologies, he did not declare the matter closed.

Sasuke moved on. "That brings us to the issue of recruitment. Today you met seven people whom I, personally, have recruited to Uchiha. Not all of them are elite fighters. This does not make them or their service less valuable or less needed. These people are precious to me. I hope this is clear,

"Even if they were not members of my crew, they are sworn to Uchiha and I would expect you to treat them with respect.

"I open this meeting to your contributions."

Gai bowed. "Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke gave a small bow in return. "Gai-san."

"You have recruited a woman. Is she an exception or will many women be recruited to the new Uchiha?"

Kakashi wondered if Asuma had planted the question. It was better to deal with the subject quickly before the misogynists among them worked themselves up about it.

"Rin-san is exceptional but is unlikely that she will be an exception. Individuals will be considered on their own merits, not their gender. You may know individuals who you have thought could serve Uchiha but were excluded by their gender. If so, please mention them to me or Jiraiya-san."

Fu bowed. "Sasuke-sama."

Kakashi was surprised. He had thought that Hamaki, Terai and Fu would have the sense to stay quiet for the rest of the meeting.

"Fu-san," Sasuke acknowledged. His bow was marginally shallower than the one he had given Gai.

"Naruto-san is an Uchiha elite warrior without an implant. Are there plans to fit him with one in Tarrasade?"

Kakashi's gut clenched at the thought of Naruto losing one of those beautiful blue eyes. On the other hand, Fu had just openly accepted Naruto as one of them.

"No," Sasuke said simply. Then, to Kakashi's surprise, he yielded a little. "I know that Naruto-san would demand an implant if he felt that it would raise his overall performance. However, his speed and reaction time are already at the limit provided by the implant. Any meagre benefits would not outweigh the loss in depth perception or the possible side effects of using the implant."

"Sasuke-sama, will Naruto-san be training with us?" Fu asked.

Kakashi did not know if he should sigh or smile. He could feel their sudden interest. He wondered if some of them had even listened to what Sasuke had said before. They all knew Naruto had killed Tenzo. Most of them had seen the effortless speed at which he had moved to Hamaki's side. They wanted to know the limits of what he could do.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"It would be sensible to train together as we proceed to Tarrasade," he agreed. "I will ask about a suitable venue." He decided to give them something on which to ponder. "It will do Naruto good to have a choice of training partners. I have to activate my implant to provide him with any significant opposition and, as one of those for whom the side effects are harsh, the number of times I do that is limited."

They looked like little boys who had been offered candy.

Asuma escorted them back to the docking bay. Sasuke walked ahead, with Jiraiya. Kakashi knew he was doing it to give him privacy with Asuma. Sasuke did not usually volunteer for one-to-one time with Jiraiya.

"Did that go well?" he asked his friend.

Asuma considered. "I think so. It is good that he does not imitate his father. Speaking about his mother was extremely clever, because they all know how traumatised he was by her death and that merely mentioning her used to risk sending him into a fugue. It showed them how much he has healed.

"In fact, the whole Mikoto-san thing is good, because it reminds us how good it was for those ten standards when she was running the Uchiha household. I know you were undercover for most of that time…"

"I remember her," Kakashi interrupted. In his mind's eye he saw Mikoto and Obito laughing together.

Asuma lifted an eyebrow. "Then you can appreciate that him looking so like her and wearing her ring, even that waiting for people to respond appropriately thing he does, connects to good times we have lost."

Kakashi nodded. They walked the length of a corridor in silence. "I find I have missed you, Asuma," Kakashi heard himself admitting.

Asuma snorted. "That's because you are so close to your limit." He stopped before they turned the next corner, halting Kakashi with a hand on his arm.

Kakashi felt Asuma's large, callused hand on his cheek. He leaned into it. "Iruka's angry," he confided. "About what happened with Shikamaru and Neji and what you said to Sasuke."

Asuma sucked air though his teeth. "I should have been more careful. So your little queen has prickles."

Kakashi laughed. He took Asuma's hand from his face and held it. "By the Lady, Asuma, you are hopeless. What if he overheard that? I wouldn't get to fuck him for half a div. I will just have keep the two of you far apart."

"You love him," Asuma observed. "That is good."

"Yes," Kakashi admitted. "If I have the choice, I will spend the rest of my life with him. I would like to grow old with him."

"I have someone," Asuma told him. "Her name is Kurenai. She will be in Tarrasade. I would like you to meet her."

Kakashi was not surprised it was a woman. "It would be an honour," he said.

Jiraiya and Sasuke were waiting at the end of the next stretch of corridor.

"I was imagining Naruto's face if I turned up without you," Sasuke explained.

Kakashi sighed.

"You made him that way," Jiraiya accused.

"I only said to him what you used to say to me," complained Kakashi.

"You were a feckless youth with far too much optimism," Jiraiya reminded him. "Naruto is, well, Naruto."

Asuma raised his eyebrows.

"A bit overprotective," Sasuke admitted.

"That, Sasuke-san, is like saying a black hole is badly lit," Jiraiya retorted. "Given who you are, it is probably, on balance, a good thing." He started walking. "He'll be waiting in the airlock. There is no way even Tsunade could get him to go any further than the airlock."

Naruto was, indeed, in the airlock. He opened the outer door as they approached and, to Kakashi's surprise, Iruka was with him. Iruka made his way down the ramp but Naruto stood stubbornly just inside: Kakashi realised that he had been forbidden to leave the ship. Sasuke sped up and ran up the ramp into Naruto's arms. Naruto's sulk lasted all of a moment before he accepted Sasuke's offer of a kiss.

"Lady's teats," Asuma murmured, dragging his eyes away from the spectacle.

Jiraiya leered.

Kakashi walked toward Iruka. When they met Iruka hugged him. It felt good.

Asuma greeted Iruka respectfully. "Iruka-san."

"Asuma-san," Iruka acknowledged.

"Have a quiet day tomorrow. Kakashi." Asuma suggested. "I will ask Hiruzen-sama about a space for training and sort out the details. You rest. Good evening, Iruka-san, Jiraiya-san, Kakashi." He looked towards the airlock. "Please relay my farewells to Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san if they ever come up for air."


	37. Bridges

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to those who review regularly and to the other readers who have left reviews. They really are much appreciated.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**37. Bridges**

* * *

They used the viewdeck because it was large, open and easy to clean. The central area had been cleared. Konohamaru sat on the edge of the gallery, his legs hanging over the edge and his folded arms hooked over the lowest of the balustrades. The Uchiha fighters had been arriving for about fifty minutes. There had been a few spars, including one worth watching between Gai and Asuma. There was an air of anticipation.

They arrived; the whole crew save the Captain and Jiraiya. Naruto was wearing the choker bearing the plaque but not his other tags: Sauke had on the matching earrings but not the bracelets. They were all wearing casual clothes. Everyone but Haku had one of their Uchiha badges pinned somewhere. Sasuke was wearing his rings and had Naruto's on a chain about his neck for safekeeping. Kakashi and Naruto stayed on the lower floor while the rest of the crew found places in the gallery. Haku sat next to Konohamaru. Shino, Sasuke, Neji and Shikamaru stood in a line, leaning on the highest balustrade. Iruka, Ibiki and Rin moved one of the benches to give them a better view.

Naruto had shed his outer clothes and was warming up.

"This is nice," he said to Kakashi. "Lots of space." He gestured upwards. "I'm not used to so much headroom. I will be able to practice jumping." He demonstrated.

Kakashi could not resist looking in the direction of a cluster of the Uchiha fighters. Their single eyes could have been connected to Naruto by stretched wires. He watched them widen in unison as Naruto jumped and landed.

Naruto finished preparing and faced the greatest concentration of fighters. He smiled. "Who wishes to be first?" he asked.

"We would like to watch you fight Kakashi," Fu announced.

Naruto shook his head. "Kakashi-sensei suffers too much when he activates his implant."

There was silence as they took in the information that Naruto did not consider them worthy opponents without their implants activated. Gai stepped forward.

"I would be the sensible choice," he said. "I suffer least from the implant's side effects."

Naruto grinned. "Awesome. I have my controller set on automatic," he announced. "It may knock me out but it will stop me killing if I go berserk."

They fought until Gai called a halt and dropped to the floor in exhaustion.

Naruto was literally jumping for joy. "Thank you, Gai-san. That was awesome." He looked to Kakashi. "This is so much fun, Kakashi-sensei."

"Get Gai-san some water and drink some yourself, Naru-kan," Kakashi told him. He went to help Gai to his feet.

Naruto brought a cup of water to where Kakashi was pouring Gai into a chair. Kakashi held the cup for him to drink from.

"Can we do two-on-one?" Naruto asked. "Please, Kakashi-sensei?"

Asuma crouched down next to Gai and took over from Kakashi. "How old are you, Naruto-san?" he asked.

"No idea Asuma-san," Naruto answered. "Rin-san says that I am phys-ph-physiologically sixteen or seventeen standards but she is not sure because I am not purebred."

Fu spoke up. "We would like to suggest a three-on-one, with implants activated."

Naruto accepted before Kakashi had a chance to stop him.

"Parameters," Kakashi insisted. "No weapons. No blows intended to kill or maim. No biting, Naruto."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto agreed, scowling at the three opposite him.

Kakashi took a few deep breaths to calm himself; better they fight here, with him and Asuma watching. There was a chance that Fu, Hamaki and Terai would defeat Naruto, or push him into flipping; that would be good for Naruto.

Sasuke forced himself to stay relaxed. He would not allow himself to look like Shikamaru, whose skin was bloodless and who was rigid with tension. Perhaps he would look the same if the fight they were about to watch had been started by someone groping him. On the other hand, if someone had groped him they would be dead, not facing Naruto at training. He saw Neji try to put a hand over Shikamaru's, which was gripping the rail so hard that the knuckles were white. Shikamaru relaxed his hand, but only long enough to pull away from Neji's touch.

Once the fight began Sasuke forgot about those around him, causes or consequences. It was amazing to watch Naruto at his limits. Fu, Terai and Hamaki used their enhanced abilities skilfully and were accustomed to fighting as a unit. They were managing to land some blows, even to throw Naruto once or twice. Naruto was having to think about tactics and using his inhuman skills to do the unexpected.

The trio were tiring. They decided that their only hope of winning was to grab Naruto and hold him. In response, Naruto recreated the attacks he had used against Kisame: dart in, strike and retreat. Seeing it released Sasuke's memories of the appalling moment when Kisame was about to break Naruto's spine.

"You all right, boss?" Shino asked.

Neji immediately looked from Shikamaru to Sasuke. Shikamaru unfroze and looked at him, concerned.

"I am fine," Sasuke insisted.

"Naruto used that move against Kisame," Shikamaru explained to Neji.

"'Boss'?" Sasuke queried, distracted from the memories and thinking about what Shino had said.

Shino shoulders moved in what was probably a shrug. "It was only an idea, Sasuke-sama."

"Shino-san, you have permission to call me boss," Sasuke told him.

"Just Shino," Shikamaru checked.

"For now, just Shino," Sasuke confirmed.

"Like Naruto has permission to call you 'teme'," Shikamaru observed.

"Shut up, Shikamaru-san," Sasuke suggested.

"Sure thing, Sasuke-sama." Shikamaru agreed.

The fight had degenerated into a heap of bodies with Naruto at the bottom, Fu on top and the other two between. Fu waved an arm in what may have been a claim for victory. Naruto wriggled out from under the others and bounced to his feet.

"That was the best ever," he declared. "Awesome! Can we do it again tomorrow?"

Fu rolled off the other two and onto the floor. Terai was motionless. Hamaki groaned, which Naruto took as assent.

"Thank you, Hamaki-san, Terai-san, Fu-san. I will look forward to it." He looked to Kakashi. "What next?" he asked.

"Perhaps you have had enough for today, Naru-kun," Kakashi suggested. He looked to the gallery. "Time to train, Sasuke-sama," he called. "Bring the others. Haku-kun, you too. Konohamaru-kun you are welcome to join in." He turned to the Uchiha elite. "Training others was always part of what we did," he reminded them.

Iruka came down from the gallery to supervise Haku and Konohamaru: Kakashi assigned Choza and Inochi as their trainers. He picked out Kunugi for Neji, Dan for Shikamaru and Tatsuji for Shino. That left the four who had fought Naruto, who were no state to do anything, and Asuma. He took Asuma over to where Sasuke was giving Naruto his rings and earrings to guard.

"Naruto," he begun. "I would like Sasuke to train with Asuma-san. You found it useful to train with others. So will Sasuke."

Naruto eyes fixed on Asuma.

Sasuke squeezed Naruto's arm. "I have known Asuma-san since I was small, dobe. It will be fine. I would like to train with him."

Naruto managed a small nod of assent.

Sasuke walked with Asuma to a space. "If he starts growling, we had better stop," he warned.

"Growling?" Asuma queried.

"You are going to touch me and you are probably going to hit me," Sasuke explained. "He can't cope when some members of the crew touch me. You are an outsider and you are going to hit me."

Naruto did not growl. Kakashi watched him with pride as he sat, long legs pulled up to his chest, chin on his knees and eyes fixed on Sasuke. Sasuke's disappearance had changed him: there had been the uncharacteristic display of temper on that first day and since then Naruto had tried harder to manage his emotions. Once they were settled they would investigate whether his new control could stretch to managing the transition to berserk.

"This looks good," Jiraiya said as he walked up and stood beside him.

"Good morning?" Kakashi asked, knowing that Jiraiya would not reply. "Yes. Allowing them to display their skills has helped."

"What's wrong with them?" Jiraiya asked, indicating the four who were receiving treatment from Rin.

"They fought Naruto."

"Aah." Jiraiya watched for a little longer. "It would be good to have a Uchiha meal together and that is not possible on Hiruzen-sama's ship if he himself is present. I shall speak with him. Perhaps he will do us one more favour and agree to eat in his cabin this evening. That would mean that Sasuke could preside."

* * *

"An Uchiha meal?" Sasuke queried as the crew ate their midday meal together in the Silver Leaf's galley.

Jiraiya's spoon stopped halfway to his mouth. "Yes, is there a problem with that?"

Sasuke considered. "No, it is a good idea but it will be significant. We haven't made any decisions about the household."

"We need to do that before this meal?" Jiraiya queried.

"No," Sasuke replied and then reconsidered. "Maybe. The meal is a good idea and should go ahead. Iruka-sensei, could I speak with you in private we have finished eating?"

Once everyone had eaten, Iruka sent Haku to work in the closet, slid the door shut and sat down opposite Sasuke.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "The Uchiha elite, they've been homeless since the massacre. It is my responsibility to give them a home. For most of them, their families gave them to the Uchiha as babies, like Jiraiya and Asuma, or they arrived as boys as part of some agreement, like Kakashi. For most of them Uchiha is the only home they've ever known.

"It always upset my mother that we didn't treat them better. As babies they lived in this nursery and after that it was a series of dormitories until they were old enough to cat. Once they were promoted to crew those who were going to be elite fighters were brought back to Tarrasade. They were fitted with implants and had two standards of intense training. They lived in a slightly better dormitory and had smarter uniforms. The only difference from when they were younger was that they were allowed go clubbing and whoring. The lucky ones were the ones were those who spaced and that depended on the crew.

"I don't think my father would let her change much. She upgraded the food and the living conditions. She invited them one at a time to share our midmeal. She told them that she wanted me to see such fine men as role models. She told me that I was never to comment on how they ate, or looked, or smelt. I had five questions we had worked out and I would ask two. She persuaded my father to allow her to host an evening meal once a div. It would be her and me, and sometimes Itachi, and them. After the meal she would play for them and they would sit and look at her, like Haku looks at me only worse."

Iruka covered Sasuke's hand with his own. "You look like her, don't you?" he asked.

"As close as a male could," Sasuke admitted. "Kakashi and Jiraiya weren't there, Iruka-sensei. Kakashi was sworn to me the day I was born and sent out to prepare this crew. He chose Jiraiya to work with him. I don't remember much but I know that the ten left do. The meal this evening is important and, when we get to Tarrasade, what happens there is important too. What happens to them? Do they go back to living in a dormitory?"

Iruka frowned. "We will make this evening as pleasant as possible for them. You should play for them. You would be telling them that you remember and that you are going to care for them as your mother wanted to care for them. Then, tomorrow, we talk to Asuma-san about what would be best for him and for them."

After some time spent planning, Iruka summoned the crew to the galley.

"This evening is important," he began. "We need to ensure it goes well. Hiruzen-sama has agreed to eat in his cabin. Konohamaru-kun will be keeping him company. The Captain will be staying on the ship. Sasuke will be presiding. This is the seating plan." He brought up a display. "Neji, you host Kunugi, Shikamaru Dan and Shino Tatsuji. Naruto, you are assigned to Fu. Ibiki gets Hamaki and Rin gets Terai. Rin-san, you must try to be gracious; I know you have it in you if you try. Jiraiya we are one short so I would be grateful if you would host both Choza and Inoichi. Kakashi gets Gai. I will host Asuma-san. Haku-kun, we need you to be the quintessential Traditional cat. We will wear our uniforms. Jackets stay on. No alcohol for anyone younger than Shino and only two small cups for us older ones. We will be controlling their alcohol consumption as far as that is possible.

"Sasuke will greet them at the door. You pick up your guest and try to converse until we begin the meal. You all know the rules about conversing with non-crew. On the signal, you will conduct them to their places. It will be low tables, because that is what was used in the Uchiha household for formal meals. I know we are more used to a high table, but do your best. Any questions?"

"What about after the meal?" asked Neji.

"Sasuke will play, because that was a traditional entertainment in the Uchiha household. There will be nothing that could be interpreted as a party. Once Sasuke announces he is withdrawing, we come back here. Kakashi and Jiraiya may decide to stay a little longer."

* * *

Iruka was pleased. The reception had gone well and the meal was drawing to its close without incident. His conversation with Asuma had been pleasant and Asuma had accepted his invitation to visit the Silver Leaf the next day. Haku was clearing away the last of the empty dishes. He had behaved perfectly. The Uchiha fighters looked content. Except for Gai, they did not talk much. Mostly they enjoyed the food and stared at Sasuke.

"Today Sasuke-kun spoke to me about his mother's efforts to help those sworn to Uchiha," Iruka said softly to Asuma.

Asuma pulled his eyes away from Sasuke. "Mikoto-san was a wonderful woman," he confirmed. "He is very like her in many ways." He sighed. "She was also very clever. She tied us to him in a way that we had never been tied to Fugaku-kyou or to Itachi. Did he tell you about the midmeals?"

Iruka smiled. "Yes."

"I think the first time I went he was no more than four. He was so serious, asking his questions and listening to my replies. There were about sixty of us and she always prioritised anyone who was only at the compound for a short period of time. She aimed to have each of us share a midmeal with him five or six times a standard.

"It worked. There may only be ten of us left but we are all here. No one deserted, not even when all we had was a wreck of a child living in another man's household. Not even with the only home we had known closed to us. Not even when he grew into an adolescent that none of us recognised because he was so hard and cold." Asuma drained his cup. He stared at Sasuke, who was accepting his lute from Haku. "Thank you, Iruka-san, for your part in giving him back to us."

Iruka studied them watching Sasuke as he played. He hated the old Uchiha for what it had done to them as children. He looked across the table to Kakashi, whose eye was closed. Even when he had sworn to the new Uchiha, Iruka had never thought past loving Kakashi and looking after his crew. With trepidation, he realised that his definition of crew, of family, suddenly included these violent, damaged but desperately loyal men.


	38. Asuma

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

It is so good when people review. Thank you to those who have.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**38. Asuma**

* * *

Asuma was up early. He had things to do before arriving at the Silver Leaf. He ate a goodly breakfast, not wanting to be too hungry when a guest at the midday meal, and then went scrounging.

There had been flowers at Hiruzen-sama's reception, so there had to be a source of them on the mother ship. He began with the servant who was supervising breakfast, spinning some tale about needing flowers for an offended lover. His woebegone expression wove its usual magic and he soon had the location of the hydroponics bay where the flowers were grown. While stealing was an option, he was pleased to find someone on duty. This time it required considerable flirting and a kiss, but he came away with an impressive bouquet. Then it was back to the guest cabin to which he had been assigned to shower and dress before leaving for the Silver Leaf with time to spare.

He realised that Iruka's first impression of him had not been favourable; accurate but not favourable. Asuma knew that he had a tendency to assign people to one of four categories: fighters, potential objects of desire, important people and others. He had unconsciously assigned Iruka to the second group when he belonged in the third and, as a spacer, thought of himself in the first.

He had made a similar mistake with Kurenai when he had first met her. True Kurenai was his object of desire, but she had also proved to be important. It had taken more than a bouquet of flowers to appease Kurenai. Hopefully it would be enough for Iruka, who, based on their conversation the evening before, was willing to forgive.

He briefly wondered what Iruka wanted but put that out of his mind. Asuma preferred not to anticipate unless he was in a fight or a battle. He was too optimistic; anticipation generated hopes that were too often dashed. Instead he thought about the day before, of the phenomenon that was Naruto and of the joy of being in Sasuke's presence. Training Sasuke has been particularly precious; it had been kind of Kakashi to arrange something that he would value so greatly.

The flowers worked. Iruka blushed and looked gorgeous. There were pointed comments about how rare it was to be given presents and then Sasuke took him on a tour of the ship while Iruka arranged the flowers and, presumably, Kakashi reminded Iruka of his other qualities as a lover.

Asuma was content to be with Sasuke as they walked about the ship. It was nice to listen to Sasuke's descriptions and to meet members of the crew at work. He was particular touched to be shown the tiny space with the Uchiha crest on the wall that Sasuke described fondly as his 'not-an-office'. The Silver Leaf was unusually homely and pleasant.

"I am going to ask Iruka-sensei's advice about re-establishing the Uchiha household," Sasuke warned him as they made their way back into the crew room. "I want it to work better for everyone."

Asuma could see the sense in that. Iruka had done an excellent job of providing a home for Sasuke on the Silver Leaf.

"We are hoping that you can tell us what the elite fighters want and how they would like to live," Sasuke continued, gesturing the way forward into the galley.

Iruka was asking him to sit and offering tea. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Asuma was still processing what Sasuke had said. He sipped his tea while Iruka sat down. He had a pile of small white cards and a pen. Iruka smiled at him.

"Let me think what Kakashi would put top of the list," he said. "Training."

Asuma watched him write 'gym' on one card and 'simulators' on another.

"And some things I know he has always wanted," Iruka added and wrote 'steam room', 'baths' and 'treatment room' on separate cards.

"Weapons room," suggested Sasuke. Iruka nodded and created a card.

"Asuma-san?" Iruka asked.

"Maybe a meetings room, instead of having to use the gym," he said and took another sip of his tea.

Iruka made the card and then gathered it with the others into a small pile. "We can add to that later if we think of something," he said. "Now, what about eating? I know how you fighters like to eat."

Asuma was beginning to relax into the process when Iruka started asking questions that sent his blood pressure soaring.

"Kakashi says you have a partner, Asuma-san. Would you wish her to live with you within the Uchiha compound? Or would she be happier having an apartment outside the compound funded by Uchiha? Or would it be more appropriate to have an accommodation allowance in your pay?"

Asuma did not know how to respond. He could hear his heart pounding. Uchiha elite fighters' relationships were never acknowledged or mentioned. It was accepted that they had a sex drive, and that therefore fucking was inevitable, but anything significant was discouraged. The only exception was if the elite fighter was in a relationship with a male Uchiha.

His situation was made even more difficult by the company: he was sitting at a table with the head of the Uchiha clan and someone who would have been classed as an inappropriate distraction.

"We are being too intrusive, Asuma-san," Iruka said kindly. "We apologise. I think it would be more appropriate to provide a range of accommodation and build an accommodation allowance into elite fighters' pay."

"Pay?" queried Asuma.

There was silence. Iruka looked at Sasuke. "Tell me they are paid," he said, coldly.

Sasuke went pale and then flushed.

"We didn't need paying," Asuma explained. "We had everything we needed and we got pocket money. Five credits a day. Enough for…" Asuma stopped himself, mentioning alcohol and whores did not seem appropriate. "…entertainment."

"And since the Uchiha compound was closed?" Iruka asked.

"Hiruzen-sama gave us accommodation and food when we were guarding Sasuke," Asuma told them.

"And since then?" Iruka demanded.

Asuma shrugged. "Most of us have worked as bodyguards on short term contracts, or spaced." He flushed. "I've been fine, because of Hiruzen-sama. I have been helping out the others as and when."

Sasuke gave a small, inarticulate cry.

Asuma was mortified. He had known that he would have to tell Sasuke but this had not been the time or the place. "I am sorry, Sasuke-sama. I know I am not meant to know, but he told me. What was I meant to do? I couldn't unlearn it. And we needed a source of funds to pay off the creditors. Some of them gamble. At least if I had somewhere to live they could stay with me when they had nowhere else to go."

"Is someone going to explain?" Iruka asked.

Sasuke pulled himself together. "It was how Uchiha worked. Families gave us their children in return for a privileged position with us. Hiruzen-sama became the head of the Fire Shadow organisation partly, perhaps mostly, because of his links with Uchiha. The children are never told which family they come from."

Iruka looked at Asuma. "You are Hiruzen-sama's son." He turned to Sasuke. "Sasu-kun, it's slavery. I don't care how it was dressed up, it's slavery."

Asuma would not accept that. He would never accept that.

He found himself on his feet. He heard himself shouting. "I am not a slave!"

He reassumed control. He was still. He sat down.

"I am sworn to Uchiha," he said in a calm voice. "I serve Uchiha. It is an honour."

Iruka was out of his chair and on his knees with his forehead pressed to the floor.

"Please accept my abject apology, Asuma-san," he begged. "I misspoke. It was unforgivable. I offer whatever reparations you demand. My life is in your hands."

Asuma stared. The little spacer was serious. At this moment Asuma could kill him or beat him or fuck him. He was Asuma's to do with as he willed.

There had been others but those men had been forced into it by challenge. Iruka knew that Asuma would not challenge him. Iruka had chosen to do it because he realised the depth of the offence he had unintentionally caused.

Asuma took a few deep breaths. Iruka had not called him a slave. Asuma had done that to himself. The Uchiha practice of swapping children for favours could, he admitted, look like slavery to outside eyes.

The spoke the words. "I hand back your life, Iruka-san. No reparations are required. I acknowledge and accept your apology.

"Please get up, Iruka-san," he added, "It was a misunderstanding. I interpreted your words and overreacted to that interpretation." He moved to lift Iruka to his feet. "I appreciate that you understand," he admitted.

Tears were running down Iruka's cheeks. "I could have said it in front of Kakashi," he said. "Imagine if I had said it in front of Kakashi."

Asuma was certain that Kakashi had more sense than to overreact in such a way. Even so, it was better that he had not heard it from his lover's lips. "We will never tell him," he promised. They sat down and Asuma looked at Sasuke. He was very pale and very still; far too like the Sasuke of Hiruzen-sama's household. "Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke let out a long, shuddering breath. "I would like to leave this for now, Iruka-sensei. If you do not mind, I would like to spend some time with Naruto before the midday meal. Please excuse me, Asuma-san."

"Naruto will hold him." Iruka told Asuma once Sasuke was out of earshot. He wiped his face with his hands.

Asuma reached for some of the cards and the pen. "The idea of different choices of accommodation is a good one," he said. He wrote 'crew room', 'single apartment', 'double apartment' and 'non-compound apartment' on four separate cards. "The idea of pay is also good," he admitted.

* * *

Five days later, after training, Sasuke and some of his crew asked Asuma to accompany them to one of the rooms in the mother ship. Inside there was the Uchiha crest on a wall and a long table.

"It will be another twenty-seven days before we reach Tarrasade," Sasuke reminded him. "I thought we should use the time productively. There is an opportunity to send a light speed message to Tarrasade the day after tomorrow. We can send forward instructions. I would like to show our plans to the other fighters tomorrow, but we want to run them past you first. Shino-san?"

"Sure thing, boss," the young man replied and a holoprojection of the Uchiha compound appeared on the table.

Shikamaru then stepped forward. Asuma still struggled with the concept that an ordinary looking lad was such a precious rarity.

"The idea is that we don't use the oldest part of the compound for now," he began and the area where the Family used to live faded to grey.

"Instead we concentrate on this section here, which should be big enough for our needs," he continued. "We divide it into two. This part, on the station side, will be accessible to those not sworn to Uchiha. As well as meeting rooms there will be an assortment of accommodation from the ordinary to high quality guest apartments. People who may live or stay here could include allies or guests or members of Uchiha who have partners who are not.

"The rest is for us. For now, we have it arranged with the communal areas here. That includes the main hall, meeting rooms, labs, infirmary and offices, including Sasuke-sama's office." Each room came into being as it was mentioned, fitting neatly into the structure.

"Here is the part for the elite fighters, with all the facilities Asuma-san discussed with Iruka-sensei and Sasuke-sama. It includes about three times the accommodation currently required in order to make sure that there is choice and to emphasise that alternatives can be tried until everyone settles on what is wanted. Rooms can be closed or opened as required.

"We of the Silver Leaf's crew have also been discussing what we want. We've decided on accommodation based on what we have now but expanded. Each bunk becomes a small room off a communal shared area. There is a kitchen, a large closet and a fancy shared bathroom. Each sleeping room has a shower, a head and storage.

"As you can see there is a certain amount of sharing of facilities between the two groups. For example the gyms, the steam room and the simulators." Shikamaru stopped and looked expectantly at his audience.

"Can you think of any improvements, Asuma-san?" Iruka asked.

Asuma considered. "Yes, dump all those alternatives for accommodation in our part and put in a copy of what you have come up with for the crew. Include twelve of the small sleeping rooms."

"Twelve?" Iruka queried.

"It's symbolic." Asuma explained. "I realise that Kakashi and Naruto will never use theirs."

"Thirteen," Sasuke decided. "One for Kisame-san."

Asuma was stunned. Kisame was a traitor. "Sasuke-sama?" he queried.

"It is not open for discussion, Asuma-san. Do you have any other suggestions or observations?"

Asuma put Kisame out of his mind. "Sasuke-sama, your sleeping room is just like all the others."

Sasuke smiled at him. "I'll put the crest on the wall," he promised. "Shikamaru will modify the accommodation. We would like to show this to the other elite fighters tomorrow."

Asuma tried to explain to the other fighters but the notion of being consulted was completely alien to them. Then Choza said that he wanted Sasuke-sama to reopen the compound and let them go home. After that it was hopeless. Asuma gave up. After considerable thought he sent a carefully composed note to Iruka via one of Hiruzen-sama's servants.

He had to cajole, tempt or bully them into attending the next morning. They edged into the room regarding the projection with suspicion.

Asuma had hinted in his note that perhaps Sasuke-sama should present the plans rather than Shikamaru. To his surprise it was Naruto. He was not wearing his tags: his plaque was on a simple leather choker. His shirt was a rather eye-watering shade of orange. He looked impossibly young.

"Please forgive Kakashi-sensei's absence," Naruto began. "He volunteered to stay with Sasuke so that I could show you the plans."

Asuma realised the significance of sending Naruto. Only Uchiha elite fighters were present. He sighed; they would be much less likely to accept the changes without pressure from Sasuke-sama.

"We want to convert the old guest accommodation, " Naruto continued, "because Sasuke cannot face going back to where it happened. Maybe one day but not yet."

It was a masterstroke. The truth conveyed by the perfect messenger. There was no point in going home, because Sasuke-sama could not go there with them. If Sasuke-sama was going to live in the guest accommodation, they must be there also. Naruto now had their full attention.

"We started by thinking about what we would like," he explained. "We are happy on the Silver Leaf, so we made a crew room but we made it the best crew room we could imagine." Naruto pointed at the relevant part of the projection. "Asuma-san saw it and thought that you would like one too." He indicated appropriately. "We added all the important things like gyms and simulators and a steam room and a weapons room and a treatment room.

"Only it isn't just for us fighters, so we needed laboratories and an infirmary and a proper office for Sasuke. Sasuke said it was important to have a Hall where we could all come together to celebrate things.

"And then we decided that we needed another bit for friends who were not sworn to Uchiha. A place where people like Tsunade-san can stay and where Jiraiya-san can be with her."

He stood looking at them. His whiskers twitched. "Do you like it?" he asked. "We will change it if you do not like it."

Asuma watched them trying to take it all in. They were moving nearer and nearer to the projection. If you looked very closely you could see enough detail to tell the purpose of each room. There were tiny showers and beds and tables.

Finally Fu asked the question that Asuma knew the others were thinking. "Where are Sasuke-sama's quarters?"

Naruto frowned. He pointed at one of the small rooms. "Here. See, we have put the Uchiha crest on the wall."

Asuma managed not to laugh as Fu and the others peered at the tiny image.

"It is just like ours," Gai said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

Naruto favoured them with a stunning smile. His incredible blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "It will be nothing like yours," he assured them. "I will not be living in yours."


	39. Tarrasade

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to those who have left a review, particularly those who review regularly. All reviews are very gratefully received.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**39. Tarrasade**

* * *

The fees were enormous but they managed to secure the use of a whole spur. They moored the ships in quick succession: the Birch, the Estelle, the Silver Leaf, the Beech and the ship carrying the Uchiha fighters. There was only time for the briefest of face-to-face meetings with their allies. Sasuke introduced them to Naruto, identifying him as the gunner, and gave the captain of each ship an invitation to a longer meeting. Even that amount of time was a risk: the crowds built up with every moment's passing.

They walked. Sasuke was in the centre with Naruto on one side and Kakashi on the other. Asuma and Gai went before them and the rest of the Silver Leaf's crew behind. At the periphery of the party were the other eight Uchiha fighters. Above and beyond were Shino's flyers.

As they walked towards the station end of the spur they could hear the screaming. On the other side of the door fifty of the security personnel they had hired were in place and waiting. Sasuke gave the signal, Jiraiya spoke to the authorities and the doors to the spur slid open.

Shikamaru's plan of having a hired squad at each junction made the difference; they made it to the unit in the inner residential ring. Sasuke flopped into a chair. Even if the new accommodation had been ready they could not have reached it; the mob was densest outside the Uchiha compound. Instead they had rented this ridiculously priced unit because it had a level of security that even Jiraiya considered laudable.

Jiraiya, Shino, Shikamaru and Neji were in the next room monitoring the media coverage. Naruto was prowling about, still hyper from the walk. Kakashi and Ibiki were talking through the security with Asuma and Gai. Iruka was looking over the accommodation. Sasuke spotted Haku standing, white faced, one arm hugged across his chest. He beckoned him over.

"They all have his description, Haku. If he tries to make contact we will know." Sasuke pushed the youngster's hair from his eyes and then changed his mind and hugged him. "I still want you to stay with us, Haku-kun, but we will keep our word. We will not stop you leaving with Zabuza-san." He held him more tightly and whispered in his ear. "I dreamed of a future with Iruka-sensei raising my children and you being queen of my crew."

Haku gave a small yelp, wriggled out of Sasuke's arms and ran from the room. Rin-san, who had been watching from one of the doorways, sighed.

"It is madness," she told him. "Lady knows what he is worth on the open market given his association with you. Zabuza probably already has a buyer in mind. Have you thought what you will do when the ransom demand arrives? You know you can never yield. They'll vivisect him, then snuff him and sell the video."

"Be silent!" Sasuke ordered, but he knew that Rin was only voicing their worst fears.

Rin came close enough that Haku could not possibly overhear. "You should have Zabuza killed."

Sasuke had considered it but he would not do it without some evidence that Zabuza's intentions were other than honourable. They did not even know if the rendezvous was real; it might only exist in Haku's imagination.

* * *

The unit was safe and painfully costly but it was not large for twenty-two people. Once they has set aside a room close to the entrance as Sasuke's office and given the smallest bedroom to Tsunade-san, Iruka was struggling to work out where everyone would sleep. He gave the largest of the three bedrooms over to the elite fighters because they might need to sleep singly. He stood in the remaining bedroom, trying to imagine fitting in three pairs and three singles. Jiraiya would have to sleep in Tsunade's room.

"Tents," Rin suggested.

Iruka looked at her in incomprehension.

"Single and double tents. Collapsible ones. Think about them as portable bunks with drapes. Jiraiya could probably have them here by tonight if you asked him now." She smiled. "Tents are easy to store during the day. We could use the whole unit for sleeping. Naruto and Sasuke could sleep in Sasuke's office."

That did it: Iruka went to find Jiraiya. Then he started to work on how to feed twenty-two from the tiny kitchen.

* * *

Shikamaru needed to speak to Sasuke. It was time to discover whether Sasuke saw the 'voice in my ear' role extending to non-combat situations. He accepted his bowl and a fork from Haku and then wove his way through the others to the corner where Sasuke and Naruto were eating.

"There is more," he told Naruto, who was regarding his empty bowl mournfully.

Naruto was gone. Shikamaru hunkered down next to Sasuke, who looked at him with some surprise.

"I need to tell you something," Shikamaru admitted.

Sasuke frowned at him. "You never have to ask, Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "You are running out of credit."

Sasuke had never thought about money. The Uchiha were rich. They had always been rich. He did remember his mother keeping household accounts and he had paid attention when Tsunade-san had presented the Silver Leaf's balance sheet at Meetings. It was a big jump between those simple examples and complexity of what Shikamaru was trying to show him. It did not help that he had insisted on going to the office at once and seeing the evidence immediately. Shikamaru had not yet decided now to present the information, so it was littered with Shikamaru-sized deductive leaps. It was like trying to keep up with Naruto when he forgot to move slowly.

"Can you show me the credit flow over the last three standards?" he asked, hoping to establish some baseline he could understand.

Shikamaru considered, inputted some instructions and projected the resulting chart. Sasuke gulped. You did not have be an expert or a genius to understand that credit had be going out at a faster rate than it was coming in and that the gap between the two was increasing.

"Last ten standards," Sasuke demanded.

As he expected, the problem had been much worse since the massacre.

"Main causes?" he asked.

Shikamaru considered. "Idiots have managed your family's investment portfolio over the last two hundred standards, no one thinks twice about charging Uchiha way over the market rate for everything, your agents and allies have been skimming the cream since your father's death because no one had been stopping them and you have been spending a lot of credit lately. Have you any idea what today cost?"

An amount of credit appeared. It was a scarily large number.

"I can't see our expenses reducing any time soon," Shikamaru warned him. "We have to sort out our base here and work out a solution for spacing. Every time you go out in public it will cost us a fortune. You are going to have to spend a lot of credit. Credit you do not have. Uchiha cannot be seen to borrow. The minute anyone works out that you are not filthy rich the Uchiha reputation will be permanently damaged."

"Solutions?" Sasuke asked.

"Give me the permissions I need to manage your investments. Issue a gentle warning to your agents and allies that someone is going to monitoring future transactions. Introduce cost as a factor into decision-making. Do something that will realise a large lump of credit."

Shikamaru's hesitation was worrying. "Tell me," Sasuke insisted.

"You could sell the whole Uchiha compound. Today's events, combined with everyone knowing you have not entered it since the massacre, would give you a face-saving reason for doing it now."

It was beyond Sasuke to consider it. "Is there no alternative?" he whispered.

"One. You could give the media an interview. To make it worth enough credit it would have to be exclusive, a live broadcast and it would have to include Naruto. You could say that you are doing it so that the media will go away and leave you alone, which is ridiculous but they would swallow it."

An Uchiha pandering to the media: the thought made Sasuke's blood run cold. He then imagined Naruto giving a live interview, which made it even worse.

"None of the other alternatives come close," Shikamaru told him. "They do not realise enough credit, they risk exposing our lack of funds and they jeopardise our effectiveness for the future. I can show you if you wish."

Sasuke shook his head. "I trust you, Shikamaru."

"I think I can get you more than a teracredit for the interview."

It helped.

"What do we tell the others?" Sasuke asked.

"Describe it as a credit flow problem. Except for Neji, they have no concept of finance. Neji will not say anything."

"I will tell Naruto why the interview is so important," decided Sasuke. "Otherwise he will not understand why I am asking him to do something he will hate so much."

They were about to return to the others when Shino knocked on the door.

"Boss. Someone who says he is Zabuza is at the outer cordon."

Sasuke and Shikamaru exchanged looks.

"Ask Asuma and Gai if they will accompany Ibiki and Jiraiya out there," Sasuke instructed. "If it is he, they should bring him here. Then ask Tsunade-san if she would join me."

"Sure thing, boss." He paused. "I think Haku-kun overheard," he warned.

Sasuke swore. "Tell Haku… No, get Haku in here before Tsunade-san."

Haku was very pale. Sasuke ruffled his hair, which he usually hated. He did not react.

"I have sent Ibiki and Jiraiya because they will be able to confirm it is him. If it is he they will escort him up here. Haku, I would like to speak to him before you see him."

"I won't change my mind," Haku insisted. "You won't be able to buy him off."

"I am not going to try to bribe him, Haku."

"Or threaten him. Or kill him. Or set Naruto on him."

"None of those things. You have my word. I am going to see the Captain. She will need to calculate your share. Why don't you spend some time with Iruka-sensei?"

Haku nodded and left. Shikamaru looked at Sasuke and shook his head.

"I've tried," Sasuke complained.

"Not hard enough," Shikamaru replied.

It was Zabuza: huge, scarred and swathed. Sasuke sat at the desk with Naruto behind him. The Captain stood, arms folded.

"I want to speak with the Uchiha alone," Zabuza demanded.

"No," Naruto said bluntly.

"Him and you. Not her."

The Captain shrugged and left.

"He still wants to be with me," Zabuza stated.

"Yes," Sasuke agreed. "He is Haku."

"She saved him."

Sasuke remembered Haku lying there, as his mother had lain there. "We, I, have tried to make up for what Itachi did to him." He went for it. "I want him to stay with us. I want him to swear to Uchiha. I feel a personal responsibility for him."

Zabuza was still for some time. "I will see him now," he stated.

Haku stood a little way from him, wide-eyed and flushed. "You came," he said.

"I came," Zabuza agreed. "We are leaving. Go make yourself pretty, then fetch your things and wait at the outer door. Tell your Captain to have anything you are owed ready to give me. I have a crew lined up. They don't need a cat, there isn't a place as crew but they'll fit you in as a floosie. Make sure you look good enough that they don't regret it."

Sasuke could hear a rumble in Naruto's chest.

Zabuza waited until the door shut and then a little longer. "Give me two days. It will be rough and I will have to be cruel but I will break him of the habit of me. I can't be sure that he will hate me the way he hated Itachi but I will try." He considered. "I did not kill Itachi. He was too quick. You did not kill Kisame. You understand loyalty. You will look after Haku."

* * *

It was two nights and a day when they were contacted by the guards on the outer cordon. Naruto left immediately to fetch him, followed by the first two fighters that Sasuke found.

His eyes were lifeless. He laid cut, bruised and pale in Naruto's arms.

Later, bathed by Iruka and treated by Rin, he sat between Neji and Shikamaru on one of the couches. Slowly, to the surprise of the others, he chose Neji's chest to curl up against. Neji sheltered him in the curve of an arm.

"My Zabuza was like your Hinata," Haku confided to Neji in a whisper. "He was not real."


	40. Iruka

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are always very welcome. Thank you to those who leave them, particularly those who review regularly.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable._

* * *

**40. Iruka**

* * *

Iruka was woken by his alarm. He deactivated and removed the tiny device from his ear before storing it carefully: it had taken him standards to find an alarm that did not wake Kakashi.

He slid out of the bed, found clean clothes and spent the minimum time in the head and the shower. There were only the sounds of sleeping from the various tents; he had succeeded in being first up. He closed the door of the kitchen and put some water to boil. Hopefully there would be time for tea before people appeared looking for breakfast.

He sipped his tea and examined his latest treasure: a crumpled ball of paper retrieved from the corner of Sasuke's office. There were three headings arrayed across the page in Sasuke's distinctive script: 'Event', 'Consequence' and 'Amelioration'. It had taken Iruka a few moments to realise that it was about the dreaded interview.

The first row read: 'Naruto goes berserk', 'Naruto unconscious' and 'Pretend he has fainted – medical condition?'.

The second ran: 'Naruto loses temper', 'Dead interviewer' and 'Carry activator (see above) and suggest female interviewer'.

The third was: 'Naruto mentions fucking', 'Very embarrassing' and 'Smile indulgently'.

The fourth row was in what Iruka had realised was Naruto's handwriting. He had not known that Naruto could write as well as read. The letters were large, separate and uneven. His addition read: 'Sasuke acts like Teme', 'Sasuke is Teme' and 'Stop writing lists'.

Iruka smiled and tucked somewhere safe for later transfer to his lockbox.

The day before had been the end of an era. Tsunade had chosen to delay her decision. If she had sworn to Uchiha the Silver Leaf could have been subsumed into the Uchiha fleet. Instead the crew was broken up, shares paid, the Silver Leaf was placed in storage and Tsunade had moved out of the unit. They were a crew without a ship and therefore, technically, no longer a crew. Iruka found it disconcerting and slightly painful.

Jiraiya had appeared unconcerned by Tsunade's departure but Iruka knew he was gutted. When evening had come he had pitched a single tent in a corner of the main room. Iruka had hurried to lock the smallest bedroom before it could be claimed.

Once Tsunade had gone they had a Meeting, which was only a meeting as they were no longer a crew. Haku had asked if he could offer his services to the Uchiha fighters who had need of him. They had all waited for Jiraiya and Kakashi to comment. Neither of them did, so Iruka followed his instincts and suggested that they allow it. Liberated from the restriction of doing everything Traditionally, Iruka had asked each person in turn and ended up with a list of seven: Ibiki, Jiraiya, Fu, Hamaki, Terai, Tatsuji and Inoichi. Haku was happy with one day in eight for himself so Iruka had insisted that he took three in ten and had them draw lots. He had written the list, which had Fu's name at the top. It was now displayed in the kitchen with the other rotas.

There was a sudden eruption of noise as seven of the elite fighters, including Naruto, rose and left. Naruto required far more exercise than was possible within the unit and Kakashi had decided that they could risk letting him run the inner residential ring. Three pairs of fighters took up stations about the ring and then Naruto would be off, running like the wind. After a few days the residents, all phenomenally rich and notoriously snobbish, had begun joining the audience of guards and servants at the entrances to their apartments. Even so, there had been no complaints. Iruka was not surprised. It was difficult not to smile when you saw Naruto run.

He started preparing breakfast, expecting an influx of those disturbed by the fighters leaving, but only Neji appeared. They went through their usual morning exchange, with Neji offering to assist and Iruka assuring him that it was not necessary. Neji took a cup of coffee to Shikamaru in the forlorn hope that it would help persuade him out of their tent, then settled at the small table. Iruka wondered about Rin; she was habitually an early riser.

"She is with Dan-san," Neji told him, with his uncanny ability to predict thoughts from behaviour. "They emptied the cleaning cupboard and pitched a double tent in there."

Iruka was impressed that Rin had acted so quickly, as soon as dissolving the crew had freed her to do so. It had been obvious for some time that she and Dan had connected but Iruka thought that it would be like with Shikamaru, all talk and flirting.

Dan, like Kakashi, had been sworn to Uchiha as a boy rather than a baby. This was good, because Rin required resilience rather than fragility and some of the others were frighteningly brittle.

There was rustling and Haku appeared. Iruka blinked. He made the perfect girly boy. Iruka wondered what he had done with his eyelashes; they surpassed Sasuke's.

"For Fu-san," he stated.

Iruka was about to ask why he thought Fu-san liked girly boys but changed his mind. "You may have to wear something more practical when you are doing chores," he warned.

Haku nodded. "I want to judge his reaction this morning, so that I can be perfect this evening," he explained.

They did not have long to wait because the fighters were returning. As usual, Fu was well down the queue for the showers and appeared at the kitchen door seeking sustenance.

"Good morning, Fu-san," Haku lilted, fluttering his eyelashes.

Iruka no longer had any doubts that Fu liked girly boys. What was fascinating was his behaviour. Instead of dragging Haku off to a double tent and fucking him he sat down at the table and basked in the attention Haku was paying him. Even Neji's presence did not bother him. Iruka had never seen anyone derive so much pleasure from being served breakfast.

"Forget your chores," Iruka whispered to Haku when they both had their backs to the table. "Spend as much of the day as you wish with Fu-san."

Haku smiled. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei. I think he would like to watch me folding his laundry."

Haku led Fu away to be spoiled and the real rush of breakfast began. Neji stepped into Haku's role as helper and Iruka realised that it was good for the fighters to observe him doing tasks no Hyuga would ever be seen doing. Within minutes the tiny kitchen was overflowing and Iruka was ordering them to take their food into the main room. A freshly showered Naruto hugged him and wished him a good morning before collecting a huge plate of food. Iruka told him to make sure that Sasuke ate some of it and asked him to tip Shikamaru out of his tent.

Neji made the rounds with first a tray of tea and then a tray of coffee before beginning to collect debris.

"Have you seen Asuma-san?" Iruka asked when he returned with a tray of plates and cups.

Neji nodded. "Shall I tell him you are holding breakfast for him? Kakashi's in the shower."

Iruka marvelled again at Neji's skill. Asuma was, indeed, avoiding him and it would be ideal to have Asuma and Kakashi together at breakfast so that Iruka could exert some pressure. "Thank you, Neji-san, that would be excellent."

Asuma looked a little sheepish but gave him a hug, which was Asuma for 'I know you know I was avoiding you and I don't want you to think it's about the incident we don't talk about'. Iruka placed his breakfast on the table. Asuma sighed, gave up the idea of escaping to the main room and sat down.

Iruka heard Kakashi's step. Then his lover was behind him, holding him about his waist and nuzzling his neck. Iruka found his hair loosed and he was turned for a thorough kissing. Living closely with the other Uchiha fighters had made Kakashi much more demonstrative. Iruka pretended to complain but secretly liked that Kakashi insisted on marking his territory, even if it meant Kakashi left love bites where no one could miss them.

He pushed Kakashi away, grumbled unconvincingly and refastened his hair. Kakashi took the place next to Asuma and accepted his plate of food.

"So when do we get to meet Kurenai-san?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka was pleased; he had thought that he would have to raise the subject.

Asuma coloured. "Soon," he temporised.

"We are going to use the smallest bedroom as a guest room," Iruka told him. "That will mean you can have some privacy when Kurenai-san visits."

It made an impression. Asuma was thinking too much about being intimate with Kurenai-san to eat.

Kakashi had obviously decided that the matter should be resolved. "Old friend, she is going to start doubting you love her. Talking daily is not the same as being held."

Asuma's blush deepened. "She knows. She doesn't have anyone to leave the children with."

Iruka almost dropped the plate he was holding. There had been no mention of children. Kakashi's expression confirmed that he was equally surprised. Iruka recovered first.

"She must bring them," he insisted. Shino will baby-sit. Naruto can help him." He went to the doorway before Asuma could react. "Shino-san?" he called.

Shino appeared immediately. "Yes, Iruka-san?"

"If we had guests, would you be able to look after the children?"

Shino actually smiled. "Sure thing, Iruka-san. I'll ask Naruto to help." He considered. "I think it might be best to use either your bedroom or Sasuke's office. How many and what ages?"

Iruka looked at Asuma.

"Three," he admitted. "Five, four and two."

Shino smiled again. "Looking forward to it, Asuma-san," he said and vanished.

Iruka and Kakashi looked at Asuma expectantly.

He capitulated. "I will ask her if she can visit this afternoon."

As soon as Asuma and Kakashi left, Sasuke and Naruto appeared and started tidying the kitchen. Sasuke insisted that Iruka sit down at the table, eat something and have some tea. He then started cleaning. Iruka relaxed. No one could clean a room to a higher standard than Sasuke.

Next began the daily battle to get the Uchiha elite fighters to tidy up and contribute to the cleaning. Iruka was anticipating the usually complaints and evasions but none of them materialised. He realised that they were peering through the doorway to the kitchen watching Sasuke scrubbing the floor.

The unit was tidied and spotless in record time.

And then it was time to start lunch while Jiraiya and Neji put Sasuke and Naruto through another mock interview. It seemed to be going well but then Naruto was on his feet, agitated and growling.

"She won't ask that!" Sasuke complained.

Neji shrugged. "She might."

Jiraiya sighed. "Just thank the Lady that you haven't a Hyuga interviewing you." He held up a hand. "I did not call you a Hyuga, Neji-san."

Neji settled.

Iruka shook his head. Unlike some of the others, he knew that the interview was necessary. Shikamaru would not have suggested it unless the alternatives were worse. He even suspected the reason, although it would do no good to pry.

Once lunch was over Iruka went about warning everyone that they were expecting guests, including children. Haku announced that he and Fu-san would require the use of the bathroom, which was off the largest bedroom, for the first half of the afternoon. Fu's eyes were glazing over at the thought of it and a few of the others groaned. Iruka had never imagined Haku's repertoire would prove to be so appropriate and useful.

Kurenai-san was a lovely looking woman with a smile that warmed the heart. One look confirmed that all the children were Asuma's. The older two called him papa and ran to him. Asuma collected them up and held them, then went to work reintroducing himself to the youngest.

Once formal introductions were over, Sasuke and Kakashi settled with Asuma and his family in the main room. Iruka served tea and then sat down next to Kakashi. Sasuke carefully guided the conversation towards Kurenai occupying one of the large apartments in the outer section of the new household. When she responded positively he said that he would arrange for her and Asuma to see them so that they could pick one and make sure that it was finished to their specification. Kurenai-san seemed a little stunned.

Sasuke then introduced Kurenai and the children to Shino and Naruto. Naruto was immediately on the floor covered by children, while Shino said all the right things to reassure a mother considering leaving her children with strangers, even showing her the carefully prepared bedroom. Iruka realised that Shino had removed his lenses so he would look less intimidating: his eyes were hazel and kind. The older two rode Naruto through the doorway into the bedroom while Shino carried the toddler and the bag of supplies.

"Naruto has that effect on children," Sasuke explained.

"He is even more incredible in the flesh," Kurenai replied. "You are so very lucky to have him, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke's smile was utterly genuine. "I know, Kurenai-san. He is the light of my life."

She looked at him and bowed. "Today, for the first time, I am pleased that Asuma-san is sworn to Uchiha."

Sasuke bowed in return. "I lead a new Uchiha, Kurenai-san. Only the good in the old Uchiha will be carried forward. This is a promise. I shall try to make up for the abuses of the past."

She studied him. "It would be best to concentrate on the future rather than regretting the past, Sasuke-sama. People will forgive the past if they see a better future."

Iruka made time to watch Naruto playing with the children. To his surprise he discovered that it was almost as interesting to watch Shino with the toddler. Iruka had no problems imagining Shino in ten standards time, surrounded by children of his own.

Then there was sorting the laundry to be sent out and the clothes that had come back. After that there was the food to be ordered and the first stage of preparation for the evening meal. Iruka made himself tea during a lull and found his eyes closing as he sat at the table. He knew there was a limit on how long he could continue making the inadequate accommodation work, but he tried not to think about it. He would ask Jiraiya, again, about the schedule for moving.

He must have slept because suddenly Choza had appeared sitting opposite him at the table.

"Oh, please excuse me, Choza-san. I must have drifted off for a moment."

"You are tired," Choza observed. "You work too hard. Kakashi does not look after you properly. I shall tell him."

Iruka smiled. "It is not Kakashi's fault, Choza-san. He is always telling me I try to do too much. The unit is very small for so many people."

Choza scowled. "You should not have allowed Haku to cat for us. Today he is with Fu rather than helping you. Neji-san helped with breakfast and with the midmeal. Sasuke-sama had to scrub the kitchen floor. You are still too tired to stay awake."

"Sasuke-sama wanted to help," Iruka insisted. "He was our cat until a short time ago, Choza-san, he is very accustomed to cleaning."

Choza considered. "We can do more. I shall cook the meal this evening. Tell me what you were planning to make."

"I will be fine, Choza-san. It is kind of you to offer."

Choza shook his head and left. Iruka pulled himself together and went back to preparing the meal.

Next thing he knew he was swept off his feet by Kakashi.

"Put me down," Iruka demanded. "I have things to do."

"Struggle and I will throw you over my shoulder," Kakashi threatened. "If you are really difficult I will have to spank you."

The image of being spanked in the kitchen was enough to ensure Iruka's compliance.

He was carried through the main room, though the large bedroom and towards the bathroom. Through the open door he could see Rin and Dan finishing cleaning the bath. They left, Kakashi carried him inside and Neji slid a large basket of supplies over the threshold behind them. He saw the door shut.

It was nice. The bath was big enough for Kakashi to sit behind him and hold him. He lay against Kakashi's chest, surrounded by warm and scented water, drifting in and out of sleep. When the water cooled, Kakashi moved him to the shower and washed Iruka's hair.

"I should put you to bed," Kakashi told him as he gentle towelled away the excess moisture and activated the blowers.

Iruka tensed. They had guests. He needed to see what Choza was doing in the kitchen.

"But I know you would hate that," Kakashi admitted. "Let's see what Neji picked for you to wear."

Everything seemed fine. Choza was feeding the children in the kitchen. Kurenai was sitting at the table with them while Asuma had managed to find a perch on one of the counters. Neji and Shino were sorting out sleeping arrangements for the children in the guest bedroom. Haku was sitting next to Fu on one of the couches in the main room, holding his hand. Fu's expression was one of satisfied contentment.

The evening meal was wonderful. With everyone's cooperation they managed a semi-formal setting in the main room. Haku, Neji, Dan and Rin served. Choza's food was a revelation; skilfully cooked and slightly spicy. For the first time since the mother ship they all sat together and ate.

Iruka had not known how much he missed it.


	41. The interview

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you to those who leave them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**************This story includes male/male relationships.**

* * *

**41. The interview**

* * *

Shikamaru discovered some interesting facts about Uchiha, about the media and about himself whilst negotiating the contract for the interview.

When representing Uchiha you had to behave as Uchiha. If your show of arrogance was anything less than breathtaking they became suspicious. If you were reasonable, they questioned. If you were realistic they took liberties. The hardest was to act as if the money was unimportant when, in truth, the whole venture was motivated purely by credit.

Neji helped him. He was the audience for Shikamaru's rehearsals. They reviewed what had been said after each exchange. Gradually a defined persona emerged, which Shikamaru would put on like a coat. It was easier than he had expected. Neji pointed out that he was already very skilled at presenting a surface layer that showed only a fraction of his personality. This was an alternative surface layer.

That night, in their tent, with Neji's arm about his waist and his back against Neji's chest, Shikamaru asked him if he wished that Shikamaru were… …normal.

Neji hugged him tight and asked him if he thought Sasuke wished that Naruto were normal.

The notion was ridiculous. If Naruto were normal he would not be Naruto.

Shikamaru stilled at the thought. Then he started to cry. Neji whispered comforting nothings in his ear and then resorted to kissing him but the tears would not stop. It proved difficult to check whether Neji was really comfortable about intensifying the physical side of their relationship in whispers, in a tent, in a roomful of other people, when your lover was doing something you had dreamed about from the first day you had met him.

It was wonderful.

Sasuke ratified the contract the next day. There was a higher offer, but that company's lawyers were too thorough. It was better to sacrifice a quarter of the credit and maintain some control. The media channel they went with had thought they had lost, so they had given up on making the contract airtight. There were all manner of loopholes that Shikamaru could exploit.

Shikamaru knew that the 1.2 teracredits the company was paying Uchiha was only a fraction of what they had spent securing the capacity for the live broadcast. The slightest hint that Sasuke would be sullen made them give ground. The suggestion that Naruto would refuse to speak ensured capitulation. Shikamaru used both sparingly.

They had already given in about the venue, now a luxurious apartment within the inner residential ring, and the interviewer, who was a young and pretty lifestyle correspondent called Yukie Fujikaze rather than the hard-edged political commentator they had wanted.

* * *

It was the day before the interview and they were about to have their first face-to-face meeting. The media team were already at the apartment. The Uchiha party, consisting of Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji plus escort, stalked around the ring to the entrance and were immediately admitted. The elite fighters hulked and lurked. Neji had told them to make the media company's security nervous and they were doing an excellent job. A small, bearded man with eyeglasses perched on his nose approached them.

"My name is Sandayu. I am Yukie-san's assistant."

"I am Shikamaru. I believe we have spoken. This is Neji-san. Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san need no introduction."

There was an exchange of bows. The man tried to cover his dismay at Neji's presence. Not defining who would be present at the meeting had been another of their errors.

"We thought that we should begin with a sound check before discussing costume, set and then content," Sandayu told them.

Their relief when Sasuke spoke was palpable. Shikamaru realised that they only had the record of the battle to work from and the sound quality of that had been poor. They had been terrified that his voice would be unattractive. Instead it was rich, naturally melodic and excellently trained. They then turned to Naruto.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

They were already smiling. Naruto sounded exactly as you would imagine someone who looked like Naruto to sound.

Then Yukie made her entrance, which fell rather flat. Shikamaru suspected that she expected all men to find her attractive and to respond accordingly. In truth, probably both he and Neji did find her attractive but neither of them had any intention of responding. Shikamaru was almost certain that Sasuke was male-only and they knew that Naruto was now Sasuke-only.

His reason for choosing a female interviewer was that Naruto was less likely to kill a woman than a man. His chose this woman because she was inexperienced and likely to be more interested in having her name associated with one of the biggest media coups in history than in making news.

"I am intending to wear this outfit for the interview, Sasuke-sama," Yukie told him.

Sasuke did not even bother to look. "I am sure that anything you select will be suitable, Yukie-san," he replied.

Shikamaru wished he had suggested to Sasuke that he be pleasant to the woman.

"You look very nice, Yukie-san," Naruto said, managing to sound rather shy.

Yukie flushed slightly and Shikamaru resolved to thank him later.

"Have you had thoughts about what Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san should wear?" Sandayu asked.

They were wearing their uniforms. "Either this or something more formal," Shikamaru informed them. "Alternatives are formal dress or Uchiha dress uniforms."

All the media people's eyes were on the toned, mesh-covered chests and abdominals that could be seen under the open jackets. "I think these slightly less formal outfits are ideal," Sandayu agreed.

"Maybe Naruto-san could take off his jacket," Yukie suggested. "Those are such beautiful tags; it seems a shame to conceal them."

Shikamaru admired the woman's gall.

"That would not be a good idea, Yukie-san," Naruto told her with mournful tone and puppy-dog eyes. "Sasuke-sama would struggle to concentrate if I walked around without my jacket."

Sasuke's gave him a look but he chose not to respond.

"Maybe we should discuss seating," Sandayu suggested.

It had taken days to convince Naruto that he would have to sit down and not stand behind Sasuke. He was wearing his tags and bodyguards did not sit down. In the end Kakashi had listed all the occasions when bodyguards had to sit down and Shino had set up a camera so that Naruto could see that having one head so much lower than the other was not going to work.

They sat on the leather couch that Shikamaru had specified. It was large enough to ensure that there was space between them but slightly curved so that they were turned a little towards each other. Their relaxed poses were testament to the training Neji had given them. They looked wonderful. Shikamaru just hoped that Naruto could sit still for the time required. Yukie-san was staring in rapt admiration.

"The couch is perfect, Shikamaru-san," Sandayu admitted. "Have you thought of a career in media?"

Sasuke turned his head in Sandayu's direction. "Shikamaru-san is my closest advisor, Sandayu-san. He is the voice in my ear. Please refrain from trying to recruit him."

Sandayu's eyes widened and Yukie stopped ogling Naruto. The camera operatives looked up from their monitors. Shikamaru felt himself straighten a little. Neji was smiling at him. Not that others would see the slight change in expression as a smile, but Shikamaru recognised it.

"Pardon me, Sasuke-sama," Sandayu replied. "I know that Shikamaru-san is sworn to Uchiha. It was only meant as a compliment."

Then, finally, they started on the content.

* * *

"She has no intention of sticking to the questions she asked today," Neji told them once they were back in the unit. "Maybe the first two and the question about the battle, but that's all."

Shikamaru was not surprised. Sasuke sighed. Naruto stopped trying to pogo high enough to touch his hair against the ceiling.

"What other topics do you think she will raise?" Shikamaru asked.

"The massacre, your sex life, having little Uchihas and Naruto's history before joining the Silver Leaf," Neji suggested. "I wonder if they have interviewed some of your old crewmates, Naruto."

Naruto looked anxious.

"We will work out some stock answers," Shikamaru insisted. "If the worst comes to the worse, just say one of them no matter what question she asks. Whatever happens, Naruto, you must not let her upset you. If you growl or snarl then she has won."

"I will be charming," Naruto promised. "Like today."

They had limited time, less than a day, and it was important that Sasuke and Naruto should be relaxed rather than stressed. Shikamaru chose to tell them that they were ready even though they were not. Jiraiya and Neji backed him up. Choza cooked the evemeal and they all ate together in the main room. Sasuke played his lute.

Shikamaru and Neji managed to claim one of the showers. They washed each other's hair. Neji tried to rub the tension from Shikamaru's back and, when unsuccessful, snaked a hand over a hip toward his groin. Shikamaru intercepted it and raised it to his lips to kiss. He had been weak that night in their tent. He would not allow Neji to gift him with pleasure when he could not bear to be touched in return.

* * *

During the interview Naruto was, indeed, charming. When Yukie asked him about catting when underage on different crews his whiskers drooped, he looked incredibly sad and he said, "Pardon me, Yukie-san, but I prefer not to think about that part of my life. It was very hard. I am so much happier now."

And when she asked him whether he was willing to die to protect Sasuke he simply replied, "Yes."

Sasuke coped well with the totally crass question about what it was like to have your brother massacre your family. He did exactly what Neji had suggested, merely looked from his rings to the camera and said, "I miss them very much." To the follow-up question, about children, he replied, "Perhaps in time, I am too young to be a good parent."

Best was Sasuke's answer to what it was like to share sex with a human-fox hybrid. He glowed. Shikamaru suspected he was actually thinking about fucking. He answered, "Naruto makes me very happy," which evoked a terawatt smile from Naruto.

It was a triumph.

Naruto and Sasuke managed to keep their hands off each other until they arrived back at the unit. Iruka had one look at them and unlocked the guest bedroom for them to use. They had tried to be quiet while fucking since moving into the unit but on this occasion they abandoned all restraint. The reactions of the Uchiha fighters were fascinating: they coped well with the growling and howling but Sasuke's screaming unnerved them completely.

Shikamaru saw their relief when they thought it was over. He and Iruka exchanged looks and then Iruka went to release three bottles of whisky from the secured supply in the kitchen. It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

After the evening meal, which Sasuke and Naruto did not attend, Haku dragged Neji away for some advice about Inoichi and Iruka drew Shikamaru into the kitchen.

"How are you and Neji?" he asked.

Shikamaru was about to deny that there was a problem but realised that it would be a lie. For a long time it had been fine but now it was not. It had changed when he had allowed Neji to pleasure him.

"He wants to touch me but he can't bear it if I touch him. I do not know what to do, Iruka-sensei," he admitted.

Iruka considered. "Ask him to fuck you," he advised. "Don't try to touch him. Just submit. Let him tie you up if that is what it takes. Better still, tie yourself up." He thought about it further. "Kakashi and I will sleep in Sasuke's office. Haku will be with Inoichi." He stood up. "If we are quick we can sort out the bedroom before Haku finishes speaking with Neji. I will lock you in and give Neji the key."

Shikamaru felt like an idiot while he waited for Neji to arrive. He could not back out because he had used ratchet ties to secure his wrists to the bedposts; he would need to be cut free. He was just thankful that he had decided to drape the silk sheet that Iruka-sensei had found for them over his lower body.

Finally he heard the door open. Shikamaru was glad of the blindfold so that he did not have to see Neji's expression but he was irrationally terrified that it was someone else. He relaxed slightly as he heard Neji's step. The mattress dipped and there was the sound of a knife being drawn. The ratchet ties were cut and only then did Neji kiss him. It was a gentle, sweet kiss.

"My Shika," he whispered and pulled away the blindfold. "Thank you, but no."

Shikamaru's heart fell. If this did not work he had no idea what to try next. "Please, Neji."

A small sound very like a groan came from Neji's throat.

Shikamaru was encouraged. Maybe it was the bondage Neji did not like. He apologised silently for what he was about to do next. "Please, Neji, I am begging you. I could not bear it if you rejected me. Please." Then, suddenly, he realised that what he had thought was a lie was the truth. He could not bear it.

He would not cry. He knew that Neji could not cope when he cried. It was him crying that had ruined it. While they had been celibate it had worked fine.

"I could not do that to you," Neji said, looking away.

Shikamaru's thought processes skidded to a halt. Then he had it. All Neji's experiences being fucked had been awful.

"I like being fucked," he told him. It was true. He had particularly fond memories of Ibiki. As for Kakashi, he tried not to think too much about now Kakashi had made him feel. Iruka was a lucky man.

"You do?" Neji queried.

"I do. And I know exactly how I like it. I could tell you," Shikamaru offered and saw Neji's arousal level soar.

Shikamaru smiled and was rewarded by Neji smiling in return.

* * *

_On the planet Elessen, the day after the interview was broadcast from Tarrasade._

Klennethon Darrent regarded his agent with an expression that was close to contempt.

"You wish me to set aside a certain time to watch a live transmission from Tarrasade," he queried.

Garner Parrad was sure. "Yes."

The single word was more convincing that a longer argument. Klennethon Darrent tapped a perfectly manicured fingertip on the arm of his chair. "This is related to your task of bringing me art for my collection?"

Garner Parrad considered. "It is about you seeing something unique and beautiful."

Klennethon Darrent lived to experience the unique and the beautiful.

He watched. He was captivated. He turned to Garner Parrad. "I must know everything about the Uchiha, about this Uchiha and about the hybrid."

"I have a preliminary report ready," Garner Parrad told him. "The in-depth research is underway."

* * *

_Ten days after the interview on the planet Jewel_

Kabuto maintained the pretence of slightly amused tolerance. He had seen the consequences of showing weakness. No one, not even him, was so useful that Orochimaru would not kill him, or worse, on a whim.

This obsession was worrying. Orochimaru had every available holographic moving image of the hybrid spliced together into a constantly running loop. The live interview had made it a thousand times worse. As soon as he had seen it, Orochimaru had gone to the lab and terminated every hybrid, no matter the stage of its development or the success of the experiment. Decades of work lost.

Kabuto remembered Amachi him telling about when Orochimaru had been obsessed by the sharkman. This was worse. Of course it was worse, the fox hybrid was so impossibly perfect.

* * *

_Twenty days after the interview in a spacer bar in the Far Fringe_

Kisame watched Itachi. Itachi's eyes never left the projection. It was as if he was committing every image and each word to memory. Then the interview was over and he started to drink. Kisame kept filling his glass. The sooner he passed from drunkenly irritable to maudlin the less chance there was that he would kill someone.

* * *

_Author's note_

_I realise that I have introduced two 'own characters', something I have managed to avoid up to now. Think of them as part of the world, like one of the locations. They are essential to the plot and were created for another story._


	42. Household

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to those who have left reviews, particularly readers who review regularly.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**42. Household**

* * *

Sasuke sat at his desk in his office. It has been his father's desk and his grandfather's and numerous Uchiha leaders before them. The office had been the easiest room to furnish. He had requested a different colour for the walls, thick rugs for the floor and more comfortable chairs. Otherwise everything had been moved from his father's office. He had left Neji to decide how the room should look and Shino to update the technology. Delegating was one of Sasuke's strongest qualities as a leader.

The result was very satisfactory.

"How is it going, dobe?" he asked.

Naruto was sitting cross-legged on one of the rugs. Sasuke had wanted the rug because people had insisted on kowtowing to his father and the floor had been so hard. Sasuke remembered ancient men who could barely walk kneeling on that floor. It was a bonus that Naruto liked the rugs so much.

Naruto considered. "Iruka-sensei is very stressed," he answered.

Sasuke had not meant it as a serious question but he immediately focused on Naruto's answer. He must resolve Iruka's problems with a few of the elite fighters. It was cowardly of him to delay. "Do you think you could persuade him to come here and share tea with us?" he asked Naruto.

"Leave you here alone while I get Iruka-sensei?" Naruto queried.

"I know it is bigger, Naruto, but the household is like a ship or a unit. Only those we trust, only the equivalent of crew, are inside. The security is as good as it was on the ship or at the unit. It is fine to leave me alone."

"I know that, teme." Naruto complained.

Sasuke came out from behind the desk and crouched down next to him. "You know it here," he said, touching Naruto's forehead, "but it hasn't sunk in here yet." He touched Naruto's chest."

Naruto scowled at him. "Teme."

Sasuke smiled in return. "Dobe."

Sasuke made tea in the small kitchen off the office. That, like having the rug, was something his father would not have done. His father would have ordered tea from one of the many servants. He thought about what he had learned from looking through his father's personal records, which, like those of all previous Uchiha leaders, had been in the desk. He shuddered.

"You summoned me, Sasuke-sama," Iruka stated, his voice like ice.

Alarms sounded in Sasuke's head. It was a long time since he had heard that tone in Iruka's voice. It reminded him of Genma, which was upsetting. Naruto looked unhappy, which made it worse. Sasuke placed the tray on the small table at the other end of the room to his desk. "I apologise for interrupting you, Iruka-sensei. I should have come to find you myself or made an appointment."

Iruka nodded and settled into one of the chairs. Sasuke poured him tea. Naruto sat on the rug. Sasuke went to his desk, took something from one of the drawers and placed it in his pocket. He then sat opposite Iruka.

"I know it is strange," Sasuke admitted. "We are a crew but we have no ship. I have tried to pretend that this is just another unit," he gestured to indicate their new home, "but what went before makes it different."

"We are more than a crew, we are a family," Naruto said firmly.

Sasuke and Iruka looked at him.

"That was what Uchiha was," Naruto continued, "before it got big and powerful. I asked Shi-chan. He showed me how to use the new information bank. Uchiha started with a crew who decided to be a family. We were a crew and we are becoming a family." He looked at Sasuke. "When we swore to Uchiha, it was like being adopted." He smiled. "For Iruka-sensei it was like promising yourself to someone because you love them and discovering you have got all his weird relatives as well."

Iruka started to laugh. "True," he admitted. "I fell in love with Kakashi, who never told me that he was anything more than an ordinary spacer, and I ended up here."

Sasuke took a deep breath. He could do it. "Iruka-sensei, I need to tell you more about my mother. She agreed to run the Uchiha household. She agreed to raise the Uchiha children. She never loved my father. She was never intimate with him. He was incapable of having a loving relationship with anyone. He occasionally fucked men.

"She also agreed to give half her chromosomes to a child. I, like all children who were born Uchiha, was grown in a gestator. I exist because my father asked the Hyuga who was working for him how to get an heir who was not flawed like Itachi. My mother was his solution.

"You are finishing what she began. It was like I went into cold storage when she died. It was only when I met you and Kakashi-sensei that I started to grow again.

"You have stood in her place and I would be honoured if you would continue to do so. I cannot give you her ring, because it has become Naruto's love ring to me, but I found this." He took the ring from his pocket and placed it on the table. "It was worn by my great-grandfather's partner, who was the last male to run the Uchiha household.

"Please, Iruka-sensei, please run the Uchiha household." He shut his eyes, unable to risk seeing a negative reaction on Iruka's face. "Please finish helping me become the man I can be and please help us raise any children we decide to have."

"Please, Iruka-sensei," Naruto echoed.

Iruka stared at the ring and then studied the two young men in front of him: Naruto's blue eyes so full of love and hope and Sasuke's white face, pinched with his fear of rejection. "I will have to speak with Kakashi first," he told them.

Sasuke's eyes flew opened. "That isn't a no," he stated. His expression was more than a little desperate.

"It is not a no," Iruka confirmed. "It is a 'you don't go making life-changing decisions without consulting your partner' which is something both you and Kakashi could learn, Sasuke-kun."

Iruka had to go into the elite fighters' home territory to find Kakashi. He found him in the small room that Asuma had assured them was only there as a symbol. Iruka saw what he was doing through the open doorway and slowed. He was looking through a chest. Iruka's throat tightened. It was not difficult to deduce that the chest contained items from before Kakashi had gone undercover, from before Iruka had entered his life. He knocked on the doorjamb. Kakashi looked over and, seeing whom it was, shut the chest.

"I need to speak with you," Iruka told him. "Maybe in our room?"

Kakashi smiled at him, "You came to find me. It must be important."

Iruka checked that no one was within earshot. "Sasuke just asked me to run the Uchiha household." He decided Kakashi should know. "He and Naruto asked me to help raise any children they decide to have in the future. I think they are assuming that that you will help raise them too. That was certainly the flavour of the conversation."

Kakashi sat on the bed and beckoned Iruka to sit beside him. "They are very young. This whole venture is still precarious. The future they imagine will probably never happen."

Iruka smiled at him. "Believe me, Kakashi, I would be happy if you and I ended up running a bar on some space station somewhere. However, we have to be willing to play our part if it happens. We have to be willing to raise his children while he and Naruto are off with Shikamaru and Neji. If he gets himself killed, we would have to start again with another child."

"We would clone him," Kakashi told him. "Cells are taken from every Uchiha embryo and placed in stasis. Itachi didn't destroy the tissue bank. He tried but there were too many safeguards."

Iruka blinked. "You could have told me you had it all planned."

Kakashi had the grace to flush. "I didn't mean 'we' as 'you and me'. I meant 'we' as 'Uchiha'."

"There is no longer any difference between the two," Iruka told him. He imagined raising a baby Sasuke. It gave him strange fluttery feelings. "So you agree that I should say yes?" he asked.

Kakashi looked at him in horror. "You didn't say yes? You left Sasuke without an answer? He can't cope with that. Have you any idea how hard it must have been for him to ask?"

"Yes, yes and yes," Iruka answered. "He knows I am talking to you."

Kakashi was up. He had Iruka by the hand. Iruka found himself having to almost run to keep up.

When they arrived Naruto was in one of the chairs with Sasuke in his lap. Sasuke was curled against his chest and Iruka was reminded of how young he was. Naruto stood up and placed Sasuke on his feet, an unconscious demonstration of his phenomenal strength. They looked at him; Naruto in expectation and Sasuke with hope.

"I am honoured to accept," he told them.

"All of it," Naruto checked. "Even the children bit."

Iruka deduced that it was that part that meant most to Sasuke. "Especially the children bit," he agreed.

To Iruka's relief it made a difference. Once the ring was on his duty finger even the most difficult of the elite fighters obeyed him. The strangest change was in Jiraiya, who was now content to treat Iruka as his superior despite never having accepted his authority as queen on the Silver Leaf. Iruka had an office, a master key, a budget, authorisation for two of the Uchiha accounts and, of all things, a seal.

The first time he worked in his office, Shikamaru turned up at his door asking if he could talk to him. When Iruka nodded, Shikamaru slipped inside, shut the door behind him and sat down. Shikamaru was anxious; Iruka could see that. He waited.

"Iruka-sensei, six hundred and forty-three families have offered us babies since Sasuke did the interview," Shikamaru told him. "I have tried mentioning this to Sasuke but he refuses to listen."

Iruka was horrified at the number and worried that Sasuke would not tackle resolving the problem.

"We have to do something," Shikamaru continued. "We have to work out what to say to those families and we have to discourage families from doing it in the future. If we don't, they are going to resent us. Neji agrees on that. The consequences of not doing something and not doing it soon are very bad."

Iruka had learned to listen when Shikamaru said 'very bad'. It could mean anything from system failure to the death of thousands but it was always dire and significant. "Fetch Neji," he decided.

He placed the draft letter on Sasuke's desk. "It would be better from you, Sasuke-sama, but I will write them, sign them and dispatch them otherwise. Each family will receive a compressed holographic image. Those families that are close enough will also receive the original and where that is not possible the original will be placed in the archive.

Sasuke read the first line and then looked at him. "I said to leave it and Shikamaru went to you?" he asked coldly.

Iruka folded his arms and stared him down. "Shikamaru often comes to me for advice. This was the first time it was about an Uchiha matter. You would not listen to him when he told you that the situation was acute and urgent. That was wrong of you. You should not have called him the voice in your ear unless you meant it."

Sasuke flushed slightly and finished reading the letter. "You have been kinder to them than I would have been, these people who are so willing to give up their children."

"Many of them think they are sending them to a better future," Iruka told him. "Will you sign them?"

Sasuke picked up his pen and made a few alterations. "We have a pantograph. I will need to write the letter once and then each name. It will produce letters that are indistinguishable from handwritten. I will then sign and seal each individually." He looked at Iruka. "In return, we will discuss staffing the household."

It was Iruka's turn to flush.

They scheduled their discussion for when the copier was producing the first batch of letters. As they were in Sasuke's office, he made and poured the tea.

"Neji has calculated that you need another four people to run the household," Sasuke began.

Iruka tensed. He could and would not cope with four strangers.

"Choza-san has asked for a change in role. With his physique he finds it difficult to maintain the level of fitness required of an elite fighter. He is hoping that you will agree to have him work for you." Sasuke smiled. "Of course, he is hoping that you will allow him to be Cook."

Iruka relaxed slightly. "I am honoured that Choza-san would want to work with me. We would all benefit if he were Cook."

"I have been wondering about Kurenai-san," Sasuke told him. "She is very competent. She has had many jobs involving administration. Her experience as a mother may be invaluable later. She could look after the household when we are spacing. We could adapt the accommodation so that the children could be with us during the day. That would be good for us. It would help us be a family."

Iruka wondered when Sasuke was going to suggest babies. He guessed that Mikoto had possessed a huge maternal instinct, which would have been one of the reasons she had been selected to be Sasuke's mother. Perhaps Sasuke had inherited the urge to have children from her. Iruka gave him a standard, no longer, despite his frequent assertions that he was too young to be a father. "Kurenai-san would have to swear to Uchiha," Iruka pointed out.

Sasuke frowned slightly. "Yes. I thought that I would offer her the alternative of swearing to me personally, like Naruto and Haku are sworn to me personally. If we decide to ask her, I thought that you and I could meet with her and Asuma-san."

Iruka agreed. He admired Kurenai-san. Her love had made Asuma strong.

"Hiruzen-sama wishes Konohamaru-kun to cat with us. Konohamaru wishes it also. I have explained to them both that Konohamaru would have to be sworn to Uchiha but they do not see that as an obstacle. Konohamaru is almost as thoroughly trained as I was, although considerably less competent."

Iruka suppressed a smile. Konohamaru was the closest Sasuke had to family. Then he thought of the boy as cat. "He would need to off-limits to some of the elite fighters," Iruka warned.

Sasuke nodded. "We will not be a Traditional crew, so we can set our own rules." His lips quirked. "Haku is brilliant with them."

Iruka smiled in return, shaking his head at some of the images: Fu's girly boy and the geisha and the wide-eyed lad, never mind the roles that he had insisted Haku restrict to the confines of the elite fighters' crew room.

"Then I thought we would look for one or two other cats. It did me so much good having Naruto to compete with. Obviously Konohamaru and Haku aren't going to be like that."

"We should promote Haku," Iruka said suddenly. "He deserves it and there is no problem with his fighting skills. Have we had any applications from youngsters wanting to cat?"

In response, Sasuke went to a cupboard and pulled out a large box full of the tiny cassettes that were the only standardised format for communication in the Fringe. "And another eight hundred and seventy odd electronically," he told him. "I thought you, Kakashi, Ibiki and Jiraiya could work down to a short list of five or six."

Iruka stared at the box. "I think it will take more of us than that, Sasuke-sama. That is if you want us to have a second cat before Konohamaru is crew."


	43. Roles

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are always welcome; thank you to those readers who have left them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**43. Rôles**

* * *

"What does Uchiha do?" asked Naruto as he punched the eject key on his viewer. If he hit it just right the tiny cassette tape popped up and he could flick the cassette into the correct box. Most of them went into the 'reject' box but there was something about this lad that Naruto had liked so this tape was propelled into the 'maybe' box.

Sasuke sniffed. "Uchiha does not do, it is," he replied. He had yet to put any tape into the 'maybe' box.

"Teme," murmured Naruto. "What has Uchiha done?" he asked instead. He loaded another cassette.

Iruka pretended to be engrossed in the application video he was viewing. In truth, he also wanted to know what Uchiha did.

Shikamaru was not viewing tapes. It took him longer to load and unload the tapes than to make his decision, so he was working through the electronic applications. "Mostly it traded in dangerous places that others avoided," Shikamaru told him. He rejected one and opened the next. "By taking risks they built a big reputation and became very rich and powerful. Once you are rich and powerful it is like Sasuke says, you just are." He decided that there might be something interesting about the next one and forwarded it to Neji.

Naruto flicked the next cassette into the 'reject' box. "Oh, I was hoping Uchiha might kill pirates or protect planets or something like that."

Sasuke scowled.

Ibiki got up. He tipped twenty-seven tapes into the 'reject' box and tossed three into the 'maybe' box. He then filled the kettle and put it to boil before collecting another thirty. When the kettle began to boil, Rin was the first to stand up and go to make tea.

Neji turned to Shikamaru and shook his head. Shikamaru shrugged. It knew it had been something interesting. It was up to Neji to decide if it were a good something. "Being mercenaries could have its advantages," he said.

"Only against bad people." Naruto insisted.

"The Uchiha are not mercenaries," Sasuke growled.

"They have been, from time to time," Kakashi observed and sent a cassette into the 'looks good' box.

The others watched it land. Shikamaru memorised what it looked like. If Kakashi thought the application looked good then it did. He had by far the most experience.

Neji tossed eight cassettes into the 'reject' box and promoted two to the 'looks good' box. He then walked over to the 'maybe' box, dodged two flying cassettes and collected another ten tapes.

"Shikamaru-san?" Shino asked.

Shikamaru looked up from his viewer, his attention caught by Shino's formality. "Yes, Shino-san?"

"What should Uchiha do?"

There was silence.

Shikamaru touched his top lip with his tongue. He looked to Sasuke, who nodded. "I will think about it," he promised.

Ibiki helped Rin distribute the tea.

"I have had a communication from Tsunade-san," Jiraiya said between sips of his tea.

They waited.

"She is intending to relaunch the Silver Leaf with an all female crew. Sasuke-sama, she would like to discuss an alliance in the first instance. I know she is hoping that you were serious about recruiting females with appropriate qualities. I thought that I would mention it now because a few of these application videos are from females and I thought that we could forward those that look good." Jiraiya looked thoughtful. "Unless we are considering having a female cat."

Rin tossed a cassette in the air and batted it into the 'reject' box. "You are not ready for a female cat," she told them. "The elite fighters are even less ready for a female cat. Having separate female crews within Uchiha would be an interesting way forward."

"It is something well worth considering," Sasuke confirmed. "Jiraiya-san, please forward my regards to Tsunade-san and tell her than I would welcome a meeting at her convenience."

For a time the only sounds were the loading and unloading of tapes, of cassettes travelling through the air and of them landing.

"How far have we gone, Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke asked.

Iruka considered. "About one-third through."

There were groans.

"We said we would continue until the midday meal," Iruka reminded them.

Naruto stretched. "I am no longer being fair," he admitted. "The ones I am viewing now have to be better than those at the start to get into the 'maybe' box. I am stopping."

Gradually, one by one, others gave up until only Kakashi, Shikamaru, Neji and Sasuke remained. As soon as Iruka had left, Shikamaru stood up, walked to the door and closed it. Sasuke looked up from the application he was viewing.

"We need to discuss something and these are the correct people," Shikamaru explained. "Now would be better than having to explain why we are convening a separate meeting.

"I have received the strangest message," he admitted. "It was addressed to me personally, 'For Shikamaru, the voice in Sasuke Uchiha's ear'."

"What made it strange?" Kakashi asked.

"I would not have thought anyone else could have understood it," Shikamaru said slowly, "so I was very surprised that someone else could compose it." He paused, obviously thinking. "It was formulated by someone like me."

"It could be a trap," Neji insisted.

"Or just a very clever way of getting our attention," Kakashi suggested. "What did it say?"

"Many things. There were many layers. Overtly, a man called Garner Parrad wants to meet and discuss setting up a meeting between Sasuke and a man called Klennethon Darrent."

Sasuke scowled. "Why would I want to meet this Klennethon Darrent?"

Shikamaru stared at the ceiling. "Because, I think, he can travel through space faster than anyone should be able to travel. Or I have been tricked into coming to his conclusion. The person who composed this message is capable of misleading me," he admitted. "It is very troublesome." He looked to Sasuke. "Imagine if we could travel faster than others. It would give us the advantage we need."

Kakashi jumped on Shikamaru's choice of words. "We need such an advantage?" He saw Shikamaru flush and turned to Sasuke. "What have you been hiding from me?"

Sasuke could not hold his gaze. "We did the interview for the credit. We need credit."

Kakashi's world reeled. He steadied himself. He understood why Sasuke not told any of those sworn to the Old Uchiha. If he struggled to cope, the others would be devastated.

"I am sorry I did not tell you, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke whispered.

"It was the correct decision," Kakashi reassured him. "Do not tell the others if you can avoid it. Do you have it under control, Shika-kun?"

"Only in the short term," Shikamaru admitted. "Seven to ten standards. There is a limit to the risks I can take, so there is a limit to the profits I can make by speculating. We will spend more quickly than I can grow the credit. We must make profit in other ways."

Kakashi pulled his mind away from a potential risk in several standards' time and focused on the immediate problem. "What do we know of this Klennethon Darrent?" he asked.

"Shika asked me to research him," Neji replied. "He is fabulously wealthy. Multiple-planet-owning wealthy. He was born in the Borders but he chose to join the Central Civil Service so he is a citizen of Centre. After his service he came to the Fringe. That was over seventy standards ago. Reports say his age retard is still holding." Neji took a deep breath. "He has no enemies. All his former enemies are dead. No one steals from him. It is said that it is impossible to take a contract out on him or even on one of his agents."

Sasuke frowned. "Why would he be interested in meeting me?"

Shikamaru and Neji exchanged looks and then Shikamaru took the plunge. "We are guessing, but we think Naruto interests him. Certainly the timing of the contact suggests that it was sparked by the interview."

Sasuke was white. "Tell him no. I do not care how rich he is or how much power he thinks he has, he is not having my Naruto."

Kakashi signalled that the others should leave. Once the door was shut he walked to Sasuke, drew him up out of his chair and held him. "We know too little, Sasuke-kun. Men that rich can afford to be capricious. Klennethon Darrent may only wish to enquire about Naruto's origins, or for a tissue sample. We do not know. We do know that he is a dangerous man whose enemies die. It would be wiser to meet with Garner Parrad and find out more."

Sasuke battled against his fear that Naruto would be taken from him. He managed a small, jerky nod.

Shikamaru hoped that Kakashi would be able to persuade Sasuke that meeting Garner Parrad was better than not meeting him. They had been lucky to find an opportunity to discuss it with Kakashi there and Iruka absent; Iruka was also irrationally protective of Naruto. Shikamaru bit his lip. Naruto was his best friend and this Klennethon Darrent might want him for as an exhibit in some bizarre private collection. Shikamaru felt guilty, but he was glad that Neji had not mentioned that Klennethon Darrent was a collector.

Neji was watching him. Neji often watched him but it had a different quality since Shikamaru had received the weird message. It was good, really, that Neji knew him well enough to realise how badly its contents had shaken him. By the Lady, Shikamaru wanted to meet the person who had written that message, even it were only for a few minutes.

Strong arms went around him and he was hugged close to Neji's body. Rin's treatments, training and good food had filled Neji out perfectly. His physique was like Sasuke's but on a larger scale. And his hair, Shikamaru loved Neji's hair, so heavy and straight, like a curtain of silk. He knew that Neji kept it long for him, even through he disliked looking so Hyuga. Warm lips nuzzled his neck and Neji pulled him closer so that they could feel each other's erections.

There was probably time before the midday meal.

They always used Shikamaru's room. On one level it was practical because it allowed Neji to keep his room immaculately tidy, which was how he liked it. On a deeply level it was about invasion, submission and trust. Shikamaru allowed Neji full access to his room and his body. The way Shikamaru saw it, if Neji could be trusted to look into the abyss of his mind then rooms and bodies were trivial in comparison.

Also it had worked, being fucked was much better than being celibate and vastly better than the awful between stage they had gone through. Maybe one day Neji would trust him enough for Shikamaru to initiate rather than respond. If not, Shikamaru could live with it. As Haku had said, Neji liked looking after people. By allowing Neji to look after him, Shikamaru was looking after Neji.

They were late for the midday meal and Shikamaru had to ignore a battery of lustful looks. It had been easier when he had been the lanky, gawky nerd no one had wanted. It was worst at times like this, when his body language was still too submissive. Some of them looked like they wanted to eat him rather than the food.

Shikamaru sighed. He would have to work on it and, for once, he could not ask Neji for advice because it meant reminding Neji that others wanted him. He already used Iruka's trick of always tying his hair up; perhaps he would have to learn to nag and to lecture. There was always the option of giving them a flash of what was happening in his head but Shikamaru did not want to alienate them completely; Rin still had not recovered. It was very troublesome. He resolved to spend more time with Naruto; to Naruto he was just Shi-chan.

"You thought any more about it?" Shino asked as he piled noodles onto Shikamaru's and then his own plate.

It took Shikamaru more than a few moments to work out that Shino was referring to his question about Uchiha.

Shino swallowed. "Damn it, Shikamaru," he said, keeping his voice soft and light so it would not travel nor draw attention, "you need to build in some recovery time. You can't go to that place you go with him and expect to get back to reality within a few minutes. You aren't Haku. You can't switch like that." He passed the bowl of noodles across Shikamaru to Naruto beyond. "By the Lady, I can't believe I just served your food without even asking you. Trouble is, Shika, you are so good at a thing when you set your mind to it. Damn it, now I am calling you Shika. It'll be 'my Shika' next and Neji will kill me."

Naruto's head turned towards them. His eyes were almost circular.

Shikamaru blushed, Shino covered a groan with a cough and Shikamaru found the sense to say, "Later, Na-chan."

It was a challenge to explain it to Naruto, but he finally got it.

"If Neji's prick had a knot," Naruto observed, "you would have to stay together and alone. You would have your 'recovery time'." He smiled. "You have made me glad for the first time that I make a knot when I fuck. Thank you, Shi-chan."

"You are welcome, Na-chan," Shikamaru replied.

"I will speak with Neji," Naruto told him.

Shikamaru was about to protest but did not. On reflection, it was an excellent idea.

Whatever Naruto said, it had the desired effect. Neji became scrupulous about ensuring that they no longer fucked when there was too little time available. Between them, they worked out a routine to bring Shikamaru back to his usual persona before exposing him to others.

Shikamaru and Neji were with Sasuke in his office discussing the meeting with Garner Parrad when Naruto walked in and sat on the rug. Sasuke immediately wound up the discussion and fetched a small box from his desk. He placed it on the low table and removed the lid, revealing a ring bearing the Uchiha symbol. Unlike the rings that Sasuke and Iruka wore, this ring had no gemstones. The symbol was in enamel. It was not in wonderful condition. It looked old.

"This is Izuna Uchiha's love ring to the voice in his ear," Sasuke told them.

Shikamaru blinked. No amount of gemstones could make the ring more precious. It was ancient and priceless. It belonged in a museum.

"I want you to wear it as your duty ring, Shikamaru," Sasuke told him.

Shikamaru was caught between overwhelming joy and utter terror. "I can't. I will lose it. Or damage it. I mean thank you. Thank you for realising what it would mean to me. But I can't. What if I lose it?"

"Stop babbling, Shikamaru," Sasuke ordered. He plucked the ring from the box, grabbed Shikamaru's left hand and slid the ring onto his middle finger. "See, it fits perfectly."

Shikamaru stared at it. "What about a replica?" he suggested.

Sasuke scowled. "I have had it encased in a superhard, megastrong transparent coating and there are two separate microlocators on the inside surface. Shikamaru, I want you to wear it."

He would ask Shino to sort out an alarm that would sound if he walked away from it. "Thank you, Sasuke-sama." He stared again at the ring. "This is one of the best moments of my life," he admitted.


	44. The desk

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Feedback from readers is always much appreciated. Thank you if you have left a review. They encourage me to keep writing.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. **In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.**_

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* * *

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**44. The desk**

* * *

They met Garner Parrad in a meeting room beyond the household but within the Uchiha compound. He was dark, slim and slight. His skin whispered the message of age retard. He was alone, wore a knife and left the impression that he could use it.

"On this occasion I am a messenger not a negotiator," he told Sasuke. "This is Klennethon Darrent's message.

"He wishes to meet with you in person to discuss a deal. He wishes the meeting to be on his planet Elessen.

"He sends his assurances as to your safety and that of those dear to you. I am instructed to tell you that what he wishes from you is something that you can freely give and that you will not miss.

"He wishes all members of your current household, with the possible exception of Kurenai-san and her three children, to come with you to Elessen.

"He realises that this is an inconvenience so he will gift you with 1.2 teracredits if you agree and implement the meeting on his terms. This is separate to the deal he wishes to negotiate.

"That is the end of his message," Garner Parrad concluded. "I will leave you to discuss Klennethon Darrent's proposal. Shikamaru-san knows how to contact me."

"Garner-san," Sasuke asked, "can you give me any hint of what he wants of me?"

Garner Parrad smiled. "No, that is against his rules, but I can tell you why he wants it. You are young, you are beautiful and you are in love."

Sasuke flushed slightly. "That is… …helpful, Garner-san," he admitted. "Neji-san will see you out."

They waited until Garner Parrad was well away and Neji had returned.

"He knows a frightening amount about us," Shikamaru began. "He knows that we are short of credit, he knows what we got for the interview and he even knows about Kurenai-san and the children. We already know that he understands how to manipulate me and has the means to do it." He sighed. "1.2 teracredits would make a huge difference. It would mean we could stop worrying about credit."

"I can find no deceit in him," Neji told them. "That is rare. There either is no deceit or he is by far the best liar I have ever met."

"What do you think, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smiled. "I think Klennethon Darrent is a romantic."

* * *

The next day Sasuke was at his desk. Shikamaru had just left and Neji was due to arrive, so when the door opened Sasuke was expecting him and not Naruto. He closed the accounts he had been viewing; Naruto was always welcome.

Instead of hugging him or sitting on one of the rugs Naruto sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. Sasuke was about to ask him what was wrong when Naruto placed a cassette on the desk's surface.

"I found this among the others…" he admitted.

They had finished reviewing and discussing the applications the day before. There had been five strong candidates and they had decided on a front-runner. It was the lad who had featured on the tape that Kakashi had picked out in the first session. Sasuke could not help feeling that all the additional time and effort had been wasted.

"…on the first morning we were looking," confessed Naruto.

Sasuke stiffened. Naruto had been keeping something from him for twelve days.

"I could not put it in the 'reject' box," he explained.

There was a soft knock; Naruto had shut the door. Sasuke was up and asking Neji if they could meet later. He then all but shut the door in Neji's face and returned to his chair.

It did not help that the display for the viewer was a holoprojection that hovered over the desk between them. The woman had been beautiful once but she was too thin, her flesh so pale it was almost translucent, her eyes beyond hope.

"This is how people look when they are dying slowly," Naruto told him. "I have seen many people dying slowly."

Sometimes Sasuke forgot about Naruto's life before. He forgot that a childhood spent catting had been better than the alternatives. This was one of those alternatives. He started the tape playing and the woman spoke.

"My name is Natsuhi. Once I was proud but now I am only desperate. I beg you, Uchiha-sama, to take my son. He is not a monster, as your Naruto is not a monster. He will be utterly alone as you were utterly alone. Our ship is the Snow Willow." The woman hung her head in shame. "I will tell him that you have agreed to take him. I will tell him that I will awake refreshed from the tank. I will tell him that I love him so that the last thing he hears from my lips is not a lie. He will do as I have told him. He will pilot the Snow Willow to Tarrasade."

Sasuke exploded from his chair, "Twelve days, Naruto, you waited twelve days! You considered for one second putting it in the 'reject' box? This woman gave her son into my care on her deathbed. He is alone on that ship with his mother's body. How could you, Naruto, how could you?"

Naruto slumped. "I did not wait twelve days. I asked Asuma-san for help. He asked Hiruzen-sama. The little ship is still on its way. The boy responds to hails. We think it best if he is allowed to complete his journey; that he achieves what his mother asked him to do."

The pieces came together in Sasuke's head. If the boy had been dead, Naruto would have destroyed the tape. Sasuke would have been spared the guilt. He sat down. He found himself looking at the surface of the desk. "I should not have spoken to you like that. I hurt you. I apologise. I realise now that you were protecting me. I overreacted. It was thought of him being alone with…"

He could not continue. Images filled his mind, some from his imagination and others from his memory. He could not bear them. Familiar words insinuated themselves; a litany of deprecation. It anchored him to a place where the images could not exist. "I do not deserve you, Naruto," he intoned. "I will never deserve you."

Naruto knew he had handled it badly. True, Sasuke's reaction to the tape had hurt but there had been magnificence in his fierce anger. Now instead there was the flat denial of worth that was one step away from withdrawal. Naruto should have reassured him that the boy was safe before allowing him to see the tape. This was the worst Sasuke had been for a long time and Naruto could not even hold him because any affection would be polluted by the terrible things his father had done to people across or over the damn desk.

Naruto hated that desk. He hated it almost as much as he had come to hate Fugaku Uchiha. Only a small part of him understood why Sasuke insisted on sitting there day after day once he had viewed his father's private journal. The rest thought that the desk should be chopped into tiny pieces. Kisame-san had asked him to save Sasuke from becoming like Itachi and the damn desk had given Fugaku Uchiha a way of touching Sasuke from beyond the grave.

He would have to take the risk. He plucked Sasuke from his chair, hit the button that divided the room and was through the gap between the screens as they closed. Shikamaru had come up with the idea of the screens and Neji had concocted an excuse about the room being too long. When closed they made the other end of the room into a desk-free zone. Naruto sat in one of the chairs holding Sasuke in his lap, waiting, hoping, to feel the tension yield. The smallest hint and Naruto could risk being more active. There it was: Naruto began to rock him gently, to grumble reassurance and, after some time, to nuzzle. Sasuke slowly and surely relaxed. Finally he slept.

Haku was sent to find them when they were missing from the start of the midday meal. He pulled apart the screens a fraction to peer through. The sadness in Naruto's eyes warned him away even before he saw Sasuke's starkly white face. At least his eyes were closed. The impossibly long lashes were against his cheeks, suggesting sleep. Haku went back to the others.

"They will not be coming," he told Iruka.

There was a smatter of fondly lewd comments but Iruka moved to the stove to give them a few moments' privacy.

"Bad," Haku whispered. "Naruto has persuaded him to sleep. I think it is to do with this boy Asuma-san has been investigating."

Iruka looked at him sharply. If Haku thought there was a boy then there was a boy. His close associations with the elite fighters gave him access to more information. He turned and fixed Asuma with a gaze. Asuma flushed rather than smiled and then paid a great deal of attention to feeding little Keitaro. Yes, the man had been up to something.

Asuma had a copy of the tape. The woman's plea struck deep at Iruka's heart.

"When were you planning on telling me?" Iruka asked him.

"Once Naruto had told Sasuke-sama," Asuma insisted. "We needed to know if he was alive. If he were dead, the fewer people who knew the better. Less chance of Sasuke-sama finding out that way."

Iruka could see the logic of that, although it hurt that Naruto had gone to Asuma rather than him or Kakashi. "What do we know about him?"

"Little. The ship is registered in a false identity that his mother used, so we have to assume the name she gave the authorities for him is also incorrect. She purchased this ship less than a standard ago. Before that we can find nothing. The name Natsuhi gave us no leads." Asuma sighed. "He's out of credit and close to being out of supplies. We are sending the new mother ship so that he can dock with her and complete his journey."

* * *

They embarked and set off when they received word that the mother ship, the Oak, had picked up the Snow Willow. Their ship, the Sakura, would rendezvous with the Oak at an ungated hole that was four days' journey from Tarrasde.

It was decided, for this first expedition, that Asuma would captain the Oak with Gai, Kunugi and Choza as crew. Despite initial intentions to the contrary, Kurenai-san and the children would travel with them. The household on Tarrasade would be sealed.

Kakashi would captain the Sakura. Without the rigidity of Tradition, every role on the Sakura had to be discussed and defined. There were two crew rooms, each opening off the single, large galley. Iruka would rule one and also the ship. Haku had responsibility for the other. Everyone, even Kakashi, would sleep in a crew room. For now, Konohamaru would cat for whomever Iruka selected.

They ran drills for three hundred minutes before separating from Tarrasade and beginning their journey.

* * *

Four days had been long enough for Konohamaru to find out that being cat was very different to training to be cat. He did not know which was harder work, cleaning to Iruka-sensei's impossibly high standards or fucking. He had coped with sucking Jiraiya on the first night but Ibiki, on the second, had been keen to fuck him. Konohamaru was incredibly grateful for the top of the range e-machines in the heads and was thankful that his grandfather had arranged for a selection of professionals to train him.

The third night was Shino's. Haku and Shikamaru had, each separately, given him a red lipstick so Konohamaru had expected sucking, which had, indeed, been an accurate prediction. What Konohamaru had not expected was Shino's complete lack of involvement. He had left his reflective lenses in and he had not asked Konohamaru to use the lipstick; he did not even look in Konohamaru's direction. Konohamaru had preferred being with Ibiki; Ibiki had cuddled him and made sure he squirted. Even being with Jiraiya had been better. At least Jiraiya had looked at his face.

It was part of the job. It was part of becoming a spacer. It was part of growing up to be a person like Asuma or Kakashi or, when Konohamaru was being honest with himself, like Sasuke; a person that someone as special as Kurenai-san or Iruka-sensei or, by the Lady, Naruto could admire enough to love.

He was determined to cope. He had slipped out of Shino's bunk once he was asleep and gone to the head. Then he had crept into his bunk and made himself sleep so that he would be in the galley on time the next morning.

Iruka was a little later than usual so Konohamaru began setting the table for breakfast. He was surprised to see one tear splash on the surface of the table, then another. This was not good. Iruka-sensei would not be pleased if the table was wet.

Then Iruka's arms were around him and he started to weep.

Iruka picked him up and carried him through to the crew room. He approached Sasuke and Naruto's bunk, ordering them to get themselves halfway decent. Naruto poked his head through the drapes to assess the situation. A minute later he was wearing pyjama pants and sitting cradling Konohamaru in his lap. A sleepy Sasuke was pulling on a pair of shorts.

Being held against Naruto's chest was more than comforting. His arms were so strong and his skin felt amazing, like velvet. He even smelt wonderful. A firm hand massaged his back, which was a surprise as Naruto did not have three hands. Sasuke's voice said in a fond, slightly amused tone, "Don't get too used to it, Kono-kun, there is only one of him and he is mine."

Sasuke had been impressed at how Konohamaru had been coping but discovered that he was not disappointed to see him so shaken. It was as if all the new experiences had built up in a wave that had crashed down on him. Sasuke remembered feeling like that, only he had crushed the emotions into a dense ball inside of him rather than letting them out.

Sasuke knew that Konohamaru's reaction was the healthier one. Konohamaru could be relied on to do what was normal and expected.

They were due to dock with the Oak that afternoon. They would finally meet the boy. Sasuke decided to leave Konohamaru to Naruto and find breakfast.

"It was a significant day, Sasuke-sama," Asuma said to him as he entered the galley. "We get to meet your new charge."

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "It is also urgent to look over the Oak and sign off the renovation. Then you can take command."

Asuma laughed. "You make it sound very grand. Commanding a mother ship is hardly exciting, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke wondered if he missed Kurenai-san and the children already. She and the children were podded for this part of the journey and for transfer to the Oak. There was less risk in travelling podded than in running about a crowded and unfamiliar ship.

"A day closer to you being reunited with Kurenai-san and the children," Sasuke reminded Asuma slyly. "Imagine how excited Akemi and Misora will be about their father being the captain of such a big ship."

Asuma was silent, studying him. Sasuke refused to be uncomfortable. Then Asuma nodded.

"Kakashi is correct," he said. "You are nothing like your father."

Sasuke thought of the desk and the records it contained. "Thank you, Asuma-san."


	45. The boy

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews and other feedback are very welcome. Thank you to those who leave them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**45. The boy**

* * *

The boy woke. Today was the day. He took a deep breath, calmed himself and began his training routine: forty-seven minutes of precise and measured movements followed by seventeen minutes of mediation and eleven minutes of prayer. In better times he would have followed with a hot shower and breakfast. Instead he cleaned himself as best he could and ate the second to last of the ration bars. He had kept back one set of good, clean clothes. He hung them ready and dressed in fatigues.

Then he visited with his mother, sitting by the tank, telling her about the day before and discussing the day to come.

"Today he will be here," he reminded her. "I should have never doubted you."

He had doubted. He had thought she had slipped into insanity that day they had watched the interview. He had seen how besotted she was by the dark haired Uchiha and his pet. To the boy they had looked too pretty and their words had been concerned with trivia. She had insisted on going to a library, recording a message tape and sending it. It was true that this Uchiha had power and wealth. He would have warriors who served him.

He had been sure she was lying when she said the Uchiha had responded. Even so, he had promised before she yielded to the tank's soothing embrace. Once he had given his word he was committed to travelling towards Tarrasade. He knew they did not have the resources to arrive; the Snow Willow would become their coffin.

But the Uchiha had reached out to him. There had been a series of light speed messages. The Snow Willow's fees for jumps were paid. Finally a Mulligan drive ship had been dispatched to collect him.

"I should have trusted you, Mother," he admitted. "What I saw as weakness, you recognised as munificence. I am a knife. What does a knife understand of the man who yields it? It not the place of a knife to question. It is the place of the knife to remain sharp and not to snap. It is the place of the knife to cut and to stab."

As the appointed time approached he dressed. He checked his collar. Each weapon was donned carefully.

They pressured the bay and he cycled the airlock. In the bay was a warrior with an artificial right eye and a non-fighter. They were dressed in uniforms similar to the ones the Uchiha and his pet had worn in the interview. The one with the artificial eye introduced himself as Asuma, the man who had been communicating with him. The other, who had strange pale eyes, was introduced as Neji. When Asuma had finished speaking he looked at him. The boy looked back. Asuma shook his head and signalled him to follow.

Sasuke had expected a lad like Konohamaru not this warrior boy carved from flint. Neji's fingers had been weaving warning signals as he and Asuma approached. Sasuke wondered if the boy could use all the weapons he carried; he gave the impression that he could. Naruto's tension was palpable.

The boy struggled to reconcile the pet on the couch with the spectacular warrior at the Uchiha's side. If this was the standard of Sasuke Uchiha's knives then he would be one. He thanked his mother and her judgement. He knelt in front of the Uchiha and spoke.

"I am Sumaru, son of Natsuhi and Hotarubi. I offer myself as one of Sasuke Uchiha's knives."

* * *

Sasuke's mind raced. Any plans they had discussed were in tatters. He recalled the woman's words, "He is not a monster…". Even so, he was dangerous enough to raise the hairs on the nape of Sasuke's neck and to have both Naruto and Neji on full alert. The boy's gaze was unblinking, he was definitely predator rather than prey. Sasuke recognised that this was a moment for unfettered Uchiha arrogance.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I have promised your mother that I will consider your offer of service. You need to prove yourself worthy." He looked down his nose at the boy. "I expect unquestioning obedience from those I am considering for service."

He wondered if the boy could yield. For a horrible moment, Sasuke wondered if they would have to kill him. The boy considered and then spoke.

"I, Sumaru, son of Natsuhi and Hotarubi, give my word that I will obey Sasuke Uchiha while he considers whether to accept my service."

Sasuke felt Naruto relax one small notch. He turned to the others. "Get a packing crate long enough to take that sword," he ordered.

Asuma sent four of them out with instructions to return in five minutes. After about two, Terai returned with a suitably sized crate. Sasuke indicated that he should place it in front of the boy.

"All your weapons go into the crate," he ordered.

As Sasuke had suspected, there were a lot of them. Not that he doubted that the boy could kill with his hands, but his body was still that of a child and that should limit what he could do.

"Close it up and place it at the side of the room," he instructed. The boy obeyed. "No one will touch it other than you. It will be safe where it is until you are given a place to put it."

Sasuke gestured Rin forward. "This is Rin. She is our medico. Do you require her services for yourself or for another?"

There was a flash of pain in the boy's eyes. It was the first chink Sasuke had seen.

"Yes," he admitted.

The Snow Willow was impossibly small: little more than a drive, a control room and a cabin. Sasuke and Naruto stood in the control room while Rin and the boy were in the cabin. Sasuke was acutely aware that the cabin contained both bunks and tank. Finally Rin came to the hatchway.

"The tank is keeping her from dying," she said carefully. "I think it would be best to move the entire tank to the infirmary on the Oak. The move will need planning and careful implementation, so we should not attempt it today. Sumaru has given me permission to copy their medical records, which I will look through. I have persuaded Sumaru that he does not need to stay with his mother tonight."

Sasuke hoped his eyes signalled the depth of his gratitude. "Thank you, Rin-san," he said. Once Rin had left he called the boy to him.

"It would be best if you stayed with us on the Sakura tonight," Sasuke told him, "but I will not order you to do so. You can stay here if you wish. However, if you stay here you will have to reseal the ship so that we can depressurise the bay."

The boy looked through the hatchway into the cabin. "I will come with you to the Sakura," he decided.

Sasuke nodded. "Bring anything you need with the exception of more weapons," he instructed.

He took the boy directly to his office and asked Kakashi and Iruka to join them there in ten minutes. He sat at his desk with the boy seated on the far side. Naruto lurked.

"I do not know the code by which you live," Sasuke began, "I realise it will be different from ours. I am going to give you some orders. Some may be unnecessary, but I do not know enough about you to know which are necessary and which are not.

"Firstly, no killing. That applies without exception. If killing must be done others will do it. Secondly, no attacking anyone unless it is during training. Even then, no maiming or major injury. If you are forced to defend yourself outside of training, which is unlikely, you will use the minimum force. The same applies if you are defending someone sworn to Uchiha or Asuma and Kurenai's children, who are too young to be sworn. Thirdly, you will cause no physical harm to another or to yourself unless in training or in defence. Is all that clear?"

The boy nodded.

"The correct response is 'Yes, Sasuke-sama.'," Naruto told him.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," the boy repeated.

Sasuke noticed that he accepted the correction from Naruto without hesitation; that was hopeful.

"Next, you must not lie to me. You can refuse to answer but you must not lie. Do you accept that?"

This time the boy paused before saying, "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

"Sumaru, how old are you?" Sasuke asked.

He looked away and Sasuke could tell he was considering refusing to answer. Then he decided. "I am twelve standards, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke found himself relieved. The boy was small for his age. It could have been worse. "Our age of consent for sexual interactions is fourteen standards. No such interactions for you. Is this a problem?"

The boy blinked. "No, Sasuke-sama."

"Do you have any experience of this type?" Sasuke asked him.

He actually blushed. "No, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke was relieved; he had learnt from Naruto and from Haku that fucking children was distressingly common. "I am pleased to hear that, Sumaru, although not surprised. I am sure that your mother protected you when you were younger."

The boy's chin came up. "Before she became too sick, my mother was a great warrior. Both my mother and my father were great warriors."

That was interesting. "Then it is good that you should wish to follow in their footsteps," Sasuke acknowledged.

Naruto moved towards the door and Sasuke assumed he had heard Iruka and Kakashi approaching. "Being disrespectful to Iruka-sensei is unacceptable," Naruto told the boy. "You give up your seat to him and if you do not know how to be polite you are silent."

Sumaru was immediately on his feet and moving away from the chair. Sasuke was interested that Naruto felt it necessary to support Iruka. Perhaps the boy would struggle to obey anyone he did not see as alpha.

"Sumaru, this is Kakashi, who is captain of the Sakura, and Iruka, who is queen of my crew and who runs my household. Kakashi-san and Iruka-san stand in the place of my parents who died when I was a child. An order from one of them is an order from me. Is that clear, Sumaru?"

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," the boy replied.

"Iruka-sensei, Sumaru is only twelve standards but there is no doubt in my mind that the crew room is the right place for him. Please make sure that everyone knows he is off limits."

Sumaru quickly decided to think of Iruka as a woman. He was partnered with Kakashi, who was a warrior, and Sasuke-sama had said that he stood in the place of his mother. Once he started thinking of him as a woman Sumaru did not resent the enquiries about his health and the offers of assistance. It also helped him remember to be suitably polite. Sumaru imagined Naruto's wrath if he was disrespectful; that also reminded him that being polite was important.

He was given a bunk with curtains around it and a locker. Iruka showed him the heads and the showers. The showers locked, so Sumaru decided that he could risk using one of them before the evening meal. He undressed and redressed in the shower, which was large enough to have one end that remained dry. Everything about the shower was satisfying. It was clean, the water was hot and there were blowers. He had not been so clean in a long time.

The evening meal was confusing but the food was good. The youngest one, Konohamaru, repeatedly tried to talk with him but Sumaru did not respond. Once the meal was over he chose to stay in his bunk. It was comfortable there and private.

Next morning he went looking for a place other than the crew room in which to train. Iruka was in the galley with Konohamaru. He stood in the doorway.

"Good morning, Sumaru-kun. Can I help you?" Iruka asked. "Do you want breakfast?"

"Good morning, Iruka-san. I must train before breakfast," the boy replied.

Iruka responded by going into the crew room and waking Kakashi. Kakashi and Naruto, who appeared from nowhere, escorted Sumaru to a training room they called a gym. There they watched him train.

"This is how you start each morning?" Naruto asked when he was finished. Kakashi had left when he started meditating.

"Yes," Sumaru answered him.

"Then you must rise earlier," Naruto told him. "You cannot expect Iruka-sensei to extend breakfast to accommodate you."

* * *

The boy, Naruto and Kakashi were absent when Sasuke awakened, showered and found his way to the galley.

"Sumaru-kun said that he must train before breakfast," Iruka explained.

Rin appeared and sat down at the table. Iruka made no move to feed her, so Sasuke assumed that she had already eaten and was there to talk. Then Kakashi joined them.

"Naruto is with him," he reassured Sasuke, accepting a cup of coffee from Iruka. "He does a fifty minute training routine every morning. Then he mediates. He was still meditating when I left."

"There is something strange about their physiology," Rin warned. "There are all the signs that they are from an isolated and limited gene pool, like Neji, but it is more than that. Their genomes are completely human but their blood shows evidence of non-human genes in their bodies, indicating the presence of another organism. It could be an infection or a parasite or a symbiote. Also, those collars they both wear contain technology. I would like to put him through a full medical examination, Sasuke-sama."

"And I would like to test his combat limits," Kakashi admitted. "From what I saw this morning, the sooner we know what we are dealing with the better."

Sasuke looked to Iruka, who sighed. "I am just happy he obeys me and does not ignore me." He frowned. "He is very polite to me."

"Naruto told him to be polite to you," Sasuke admitted. "He hesitates to obey anyone, even me. The exception is Naruto."

Kakashi nodded. "Naruto is the best fighter among us. The boy will look to him." He smiled slightly. "And he is Naruto."

Sasuke considered. "Rin-san, concentrate on his mother today. I promise to order him to submit to a full medical within a handful of days. Kakashi-sensei, we must concentrate on inspecting the Oak this morning, but you can test him out this afternoon. I agree that we should know what he can do."

* * *

They used the new gym on the Oak because it was large enough to accommodate everyone. Kakashi started the session with some sparring between the elite fighters.

Sasuke watched the boy. He was interested in the sparring but became almost animated when he realised that the older elite fighters could raise their performance to a higher level. He actually asked two questions.

"How do they do that? Why don't they do it all the time?"

"The implant in the eye socket links to the nervous system," Sasuke answered him. "Their bodies cannot stand with the stress of using it constantly. Some of them suffer more from the side effects than others. Also, it is not necessary for them to function at that level the whole time and it is always good to have a surprise for one's opponent."

The boy nodded and went back to watching.

Then, to inaugurate the new gym, Kakashi allowed Naruto his favourite treat of fighting Hamaki, Terai and Fu. Sumaru was utterly fascinated. His skin was flushed with excitement. Sasuke realised how pretty he could be, almost a Haku level of prettiness.

"This is Naruto's first level?" he asked.

"Naruto has no need for a second level," Sasuke told him, "and I refuse to let him use any enhancements with side effects."

The boy's eyes were shining. His eyes were fixed on the fighting. "No, you love him too much for that," he said.

Sasuke doubted that Sumaru even realised that he had voiced his thoughts.

Those fighting ended up in the traditional pile of bodies and laughter. Kakashi looked towards Sumaru. "Your turn, little knife," he said.

The boy looked at Kakashi in surprise. He took off his boots and his outer clothing before walking into the centre of the space.

"I have two levels," he admitted. "Like you with your artificial eye."

Kakashi nodded. "We start with your unenhanced level," he instructed.

The boy was good. Considering his size and the fact he had a boy's strength rather than an adult's, he was amazing. However, Kakashi dealt with him easily. Sumaru was nowhere near as good as Naruto had been that first time. His reflexes and speed were fast, but only humanly fast.

Kakashi signalled for him to stop. There was appreciative stomps and whistles from the other fighters. Sumaru looked pleased.

"Tell me about this enhancement," Kakashi ordered him.

Sumaru pointed at his collar. "I activate this. It is like your implant." His gaze dropped. "I cannot fully control it yet. I need more practice."

Kakashi frowned. "Does it have side effects?" he asked.

The boy nodded. "But I can activate it for a set time," he suggested. "Five minutes?"

"One minute," Kakashi decided. "No longer." He looked to Naruto, who nodded and readied himself.

Sumaru touched his collar. The radiation alarms blared and the hatches slammed shut. The boy transformed into blur that went straight for Naruto. He hit. Naruto went berserk, snarled, began a biting attack and was dropped by his controller. Kakashi dived towards the fray, followed by Asuma and then Gai, who had paused to activate his implant.

It was one of the longest minutes in Sasuke's life. To Sumaru's credit, he stopped attacking as soon as Naruto dropped, only to lose control completely when Kakashi and then Asuma hit him. He was winning when Gai tackled the boy and rolled away with him. That fight was remarkably equal.

Then it was over. The boy went still and boneless. The sirens stopped. Gai stood up and deactivated his implant. Kakashi went to the boy, who was already sitting up. Sasuke went to Naruto, who remained unconscious.

The boy looked across at Sasuke reproachfully. "You said he did not have a second level," he complained. "You should have told me he was a berserker and, worse, that he has a controller that protects others and leaves him exposed. I could have hurt him."

Sasuke stroked Naruto's hair. It helped calm his jangling nerves. "You are right, Sumaru-kun," he admitted. "I apologise."


	46. On the Oak

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are nice. My gratitude to those who leave them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**46. On the Oak**

* * *

Konohamaru sat in Haku's room watching him brush his hair.

Haku used the mirror to study Konohamaru. Konohamaru had been unhappy since they had moved from the Sakura to the accommodation on the Oak, which was, as close as possible, a replica of the household on Tarrasade. Haku suspected that Konohamaru's unhappiness was nothing to do with adapting to the role of cat, or the move from the Sakura to the Oak.

"You hate him," Haku observed. "You hate the 'little knife'."

Konohamaru went scarlet.

"Why else would you be hiding in here?" Haku asked.

Konohamaru scowled. "That's not fair, Haku. I like you. I have always liked you."

"I shall ask Iruka-sensei if I can be added to your list," Haku said. "After all, I am crew." He laughed at Konohamaru's shock. "It will give you more time away from that crew room. Who knows? I may let you fuck me. Would you like that, Kono-kun?"

"Very much," Konohamaru told him with a surprising amount of certainty in his voice.

Haku's laugh became a knowing smile. He continued brushing his hair. "Jealousy is very ugly, Kono-kun."

"It is just so unfair," Konohamaru complained. "He does none of the work. He still will not even do me the courtesy of speaking to me when I speak to him. Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke and Naruto spend ages with him." He looked away. "It is like when Sasuke came to live with Grandfather."

"Konohamaru?" Haku asked.

Konohamaru looked at him. "Yes, Haku?"

"Would you have been a child whose family had been massacred? Would you be a boy who thinks he is a knife rather than a person?"

"No," admitted Konohamaru. There was silence for a time. "Did you mean it? About letting me fuck you?"

Haku smiled. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. At least you will have some interesting fantasies."

* * *

"You want to be put on Konohamaru's list?" Iruka queried in astonishment.

Haku finished putting away the dishes. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No," admitted Iruka. "Why?"

"I do not have to tell you why," Haku reminded him. He waited a few moments before continuing. "Konohamaru deserves a little extra attention. Since Sumaru arrived he may as well have not have existed for you and Kakashi."

Iruka flushed. "That is not true," he contested.

Haku shrugged. "Perhaps. I wish to be on Konohamaru's list. We will leave it at that."

* * *

"Where do you see Sumaru in a few standards' time?" Iruka asked Sasuke.

It was a very good question. The more Sasuke thought about it, the better question it became. "I haven't been thinking that far ahead," he admitted. "It's hard enough dealing with him day by day. You know that, Iruka-sensei."

"I know," agreed Iruka.

* * *

"I require a straight answer, Rin-san," Sasuke insisted. "Is it safe for Sumaru to use his collar? Is it safe for him and is it safe for those around him?"

Rin scowled at him. "I assume you mean the radiation and not the fact that it turns him into a super-charged killing machine?"

"Rin!" Sasuke growled.

"The radiation is a very minimal risk to others. It is, in the long term and indirectly, lethal to him. The radiation causes the symbiote to produce the hormones that put him into that super-charged state. Every time it happens, his body is damaged a little more. A proportion of the damage is never healed. This is what has all but killed his mother. From what I can tell from the records he gave me, it is what killed his father."

"You cannot reverse this damage?" Sasuke checked.

Rin shook her head. "Not yet. Perhaps never. And, before you ask, I cannot remove the symbiote without killing him."

* * *

"I have tried being reasonable, Sumaru-kun," Sasuke told him. "You will not listen. I give you is a straight choice. Your collar comes off, permanently, or you get back in the Snow Willow, with your mother, and leave."

Sumaru stared at him.

At least Sasuke knew he finally had his attention.

"If you decide to stay, you will be allowed to swear to Uchiha as soon as you decide you are ready. We will begin training you to be a member of our team. But you will have to become more than a knife. You will have to go through the same training as did almost every member of this team. Except for Shino, Rin and Kurenai, we have all catted. That meant we all scrubbed floors and mended clothes."

The boy swallowed. "Even Naruto?" he asked.

"Even Naruto, although he was very bad at sewing. Naruto and I went through it together. Sumaru, I want you to be one of my knives. I promise that Rin will work on a way to activate the symbiote without the damaging side effects. I promise to consider you for an implant when you reach sixteen standards. However, even if you become my sharpest knife, sharper than Naruto, I need you to have other skills as well."

He blinked back tears. "I will stay. You can take off my collar."

* * *

There were many times when Naruto wished that his hearing was less acute. This was one of them. He did not want to have to tell Iruka-sensei or, worse, Sasuke, that Sumaru was desperately unhappy; that the boy who presented such an unyielding face to the world had cried himself to sleep every night since they had cut off his collar. Naruto wished that they were on the Sakura; if he had been in a bunk someone else would have noticed. Instead they were on the Oak, where Sumaru had his own room.

In the end he decided that doing something himself was better than having to tell Iruka-sensei or Sasuke. He went to the smallest gym the next morning and waited, patiently and cross-legged, for Sumaru to finish his prayers.

"We had a similar choice to make, you and I," Naruto began. "For me it was to wear a collar or leave. For you it was take off a collar or leave."

* * *

"You have a talent for this, Kono-kun," Shino told him.

Konohamaru looked up from the flyer he was making for Akemi's birth anniversary. He thoroughly enjoyed working on the project and Shino was an excellent teacher. "Thank you, Shino-sensei."

"I am thinking of starting a very simple project with Sumaru. You could help me teach him." Shino's lips twitched slightly in what Konohamaru had come to understand as a smile. "We are both so unskilled at speaking, we could do with your help."

Sumaru had improved since Sasuke had cut his collar off. He was less arrogant and haughty. He also did chores, some of them well but most of them badly. He still barely spoke, but Konohamaru now believed he listened.

On the other hand, he was even closer to Naruto. The only emotion Konohamaru ever saw on Sumaru's face was hero worship.

"I will teach him at another time if you would prefer," Shino suggested.

Konohamaru flushed. "No, it will be fine."

They worked in silence for some time.

"He wants to be Naruto," Shino said suddenly and quietly. "You do not want to be Naruto. You want to be Naruto's special person, which is understandable. I sympathise. I wish I was someone's special person and that, like your dream, will never happen. We must move on. We must think of people like Kakashi, who thought he would never find another special person after Obito and yet he now has Iruka."

Konohamaru was shocked yet flattered that Shino should go to such lengths to make him feel better. Haku had told him that Shino loved Shikamaru, that Shikamaru did not know and that this was one of the taboo subjects that Konohamaru must never mention. "Thank you, Shino-sensei," he whispered.

"You are welcome, Kono-kun."

* * *

"In Sasuke-sama's office?" Asuma queried.

"In Sasuke-sama's office," Shikamaru insisted. "We are beginning a tradition that every child will have balloons and cakes and the presents that are not from their parents or their siblings in Sasuke-sama's office on his or her birth anniversary. Naruto is planning to decorate the desk. The balloons will be tied to the desk. The cakes and the presents will be on the desk." He paused meaningfully. "This tradition will, of course, become established enough to continue when we return to Tarrasade."

Asuma stared at him. "We will be having children's birth anniversary celebrations on Fugaku-kyou's desk?"

"We will be having children's birth anniversary celebrations on Sasuke-sama's desk," Shikamaru emphasised.

Asuma thought about it and then bowed. "I salute you, Shikamaru-san."

* * *

"We will be doing this when we return to Tarrasade?" Kakashi checked, his eye fixed on the desk, which was a riot of colour with bunches of balloons anchored at each corner. In the centre was a pile of presents and to either side a plate of small birthday cakes. Akemi sat on a cushion on Sasuke's chair with a crown on his head.

"That is the idea," Asuma confirmed.

"And you are fine with that?" Kakashi queried.

"Will you be fine with it when it is your and Iruka's child?" Asuma asked. "You suffered much more than I."

Kakashi glanced about, checking that Iruka was at a safe distance. "We have never discussed having our own children."

Asuma shrugged. "Sasuke's children then. As if Iruka is going to care who the genetic parents are."

Kakashi's eye went from the desk to where Naruto was galloping about the room with Misora on his shoulders. "Yes, I will be fine with it. Trust Naruto."

"It was Shikamaru's idea." Asuma's eye went back to the desk. "Although I see Naruto's hand in the implementation."

* * *

Sasuke looked at Akemi sitting on his chair, Misora on Naruto's shoulders and Keitaro on Kurenai's hip. What was an Uchiha? He knew the answer his father and even his mother would have given him. They would have brought up a genetic chart and shown him the parameters within which a child had to fall to be considered a full blood. He worked his way over to Rin's side.

"Can Naruto and I have children together?" he asked.

Rin's head turned towards him slowly. "I will only answer that question if he is also asking it," she answered.

* * *

"Babies?" Naruto queried. He had thought that they were going to fuck, not talk about babies. He thought of Akemi, Misora and Keitaro. He thought of Shino's nieces and nephews. He liked children. He did not know if he liked babies. He knew that Sasuke wanted children and that Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei had agreed to help raise them. Uchiha had to include more Uchihas or there would be no point. He smiled. "Lots of little Uchihas," he agreed. "Ten?" he suggested.

"No, not Uchihas," Sasuke said. "Our children. Combinations of you and me."

Naruto was very still. His whiskers twitched. "Hybrids do not breed," he reminded Sasuke. "Hybrids are engineered." He did not know why he felt so uneasy. "Most hybrids do not work. I do not want a child who does not work. It is not fair on the child."

"Can we talk to Rin about it?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto sighed. They would speak to Rin. She would persuade Sasuke that it was a bad idea.

* * *

Rin and Naruto exchanged looks. This was one issue where Naruto was certain they understood each other perfectly. He hoped she could get the idea of a Sasuke/Naruto baby out of Sasuke's head.

"You can try to clone Naruto," Rin began. "It might work, it might not. I do not know why Naruto works.

"I can take some of Naruto's human genes and splice them into a human embryo's chromosomes. The more splicing we do the more risk there is of damaging the embryo. We are talking a maximum of one percent of the genome. Nowhere near half. You could pick something visible. A token. Maybe Naruto's eye colour. I could do that safely.

"Perhaps a scientist specialising in hybrids would be more positive but I doubt it."

"Is there a scientist specialising in hybrids?" Sasuke asked.

"There is a scientist called Kabuto who publishes interesting research," Rin told him. "It's a dubious field with many charlatans."

Naruto wished that Rin had not mentioned the scientist. It might raise the prospect of hope in Sasuke's mind. "But this Kabuto is unlikely to suggest that a half and half mix of Sasuke's and my chromosomes will make a healthy baby," he stated.

Rin looked horrified. "It would never work. The embryo would not get through the first cell division. Even if by some fluke it did…" she voice trailed off. Her expression was enough.

* * *

Sasuke played. It helped. It required his mind and his body to work together. The music was beautiful. It never ceased to amaze him that he could produce it. He should set aside time each day to play. It was soothing. He would move the biwa to his office.

Maybe he could teach his children to play; not all of them, he did not want it to be a chore to them. He would teach only the ones who took to it as he had taken to it.

There was a movement across the open doorway of his room. Then Sumaru stood there, motionless, staring. So the boy liked music.

* * *

Naruto was pleased when Sasuke produced his lute after the evening meal. It had been too long. People started to appear as soon as the music started. Elite fighters drifted into their crew room, beckoned over the threshold by Iruka. Haku sat on the floor with Konohamaru sprawled beside him. Naruto noticed the way Haku's fingers played in Konohamaru's hair and wondered.

After a while Sasuke started to play music so that they would sing. Iruka and Kakashi took the leads in a ballad, which always delighted the elite fighters. Shino sang a comic song in his deadpan way that made it all the funnier. Hamaki and Terai persuaded Fu sing. Then Sasuke turned to Sumaru.

"Is there a song you would like me to play?" he asked.

There was silence. Then, slowly, the boy spoke. "You will not know the tune."

"Sing it," Naruto encouraged. "Sasuke will be quick to pick it up."

Sumaru sang, hesitantly at first and then with more confidence as Sasuke began to pick out the melody. His voice had yet to break. The sound penetrated the air and the mind, as haunting as it was beautiful.

* * *

wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?v=SGVMS4AWUlU


	47. Elessen

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are particularly welcome. Thank you to those who have left them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**47. Elessen**

* * *

Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji stared at the lists Garner Parrad had sent them.

"What's wrong?" asked Naruto.

"We asked for clarification about who had to drop with us to Elessen," Sasuke explained. He switched the display from the tablet to the holoprojection. "He sent this. Left are non-negotiables, right column are those who do not have to come, centre are those he would like us to include and we lose a hundred gigacredits for each one who stays on the Oak." Kurenai, the children and Natsuhi were in the list on the right. Sumaru was among the non-negotiables. Klennethon Darrent's information gathering continued to impress.

Naruto scowled. "I do not like these games. Maybe we should go home."

Shikamaru grimaced. "Do you have any idea of how much Rin spent on the infirmaries on the Sakura and the Oak?"

Sasuke cringed slightly. He knew that had been his fault. The lesson had been learnt, he would never again release someone to spend without a budget.

Naruto sighed. "Asuma must stay with his family."

"We will leave the crew of the Oak," Sasuke decided. He held up a hand before Shikamaru could protest. "I know we are giving up one third of the credit but it is for the best."

* * *

Elessen was a habitable planet yet Klennethon Darrent used it as a pleasure home. There was one settlement: a palace set in extensive gardens. Dotted about the gardens were guest villas. All infrastructure was hidden. Structures that could not be made beautiful, for example the spaceport, were set well away and camouflaged by trees.

They were greeted by Garner Parrad. He handed a folded and sealed paper to Sasuke; an invitation for him and Naruto to meet with Klennethon Darrent that afternoon. Garner Parrad then escorted them to the entrance of their villa, promising to return later to conduct Sasuke and Naruto to the meeting.

The villa was as tasteful as it was luxurious but, in truth, it did not suit them. The marble made it cold and, for those used to intimacy, the sheer size was intimidating. It was difficult to translate their way of living to the new setting. The kitchen was separate from the main room. Each bedroom with its associated sitting room, dressing room and bathroom was furnished to be occupied by one or two guests. They had to move some beds.

The room Sasuke and Naruto had been given was too large for Sasuke's liking but the bed looked fun and there was a sunken bath as well as a shower. He set an alarm for fifty minutes before Garner Parrad would arrive to escort them to the meeting and joined Naruto, who was investigating the potential of the bed as a trampoline.

Klennethon Darrent watched the two of them play. In many ways it was more beautiful than the coupling that followed. The youngster's love for the hybrid was so intense. He shivered as he imagined what the young Uchiha would risk to keep him.

Once they were asleep he watched Shikamaru with the Hyuga. He tapped a fingertip against the arm of his chair. Shikamaru made a convincing submissive; knowing it was a fabrication did not quell Klennethon Darrent's desire. He calmed himself, emptying his body of emotion, wary of clouding his judgement, yet still found himself toying with the idea of tempting Shikamaru away.

Some of the others were promising or mildly intriguing: the boy was an interesting addition to the party; some of the Uchiha fighters were a fascinating mixture of damage and hope; the little queen held the disparate group together with remarkable skill.

It was a good game.

* * *

Remembering his father helped Sasuke retain his self-control in the man's presence. Klennethon Darrent's power and charisma were overpowering. His voice inspired obedience. He was predator, which cast Sasuke in the role of prey. Worrying about Naruto was a welcome distraction. Occasionally Sasuke heard a faint grumbling growl from Naruto's throat.

Klennethon Darrent was acutely aware of the risk involved in meeting the hybrid. There was a chance Naruto would kill him. It had been many decades since he had last been exposed to personal danger. It was a refreshing, if unwise, novelty.

The hybrid was magnificent. You had to be in his presence to fully appreciate his incredible physicality. Klennethon Darrent finally understood the youngster's obsession.

Once niceties had been exchanged Klennethon Darrent began his pitch. "I collect art," he explained. "I also commission art. It is one of my ambitions to commission great art that will influence humanity for millenniums.

"I have studied the past. Art that draws on folklore is powerful. You are modern folklore. Your story is already known to quadrillions.

"The data I have would not be enough to brief an artist who will not meet you and for whom you cannot pose. I want you to agree to full body imaging and some joint posing. Ideally this would be done at two standard intervals, but, at this time, we are negotiating a single set of images."

Sasuke processed what Klennethon Darrent was saying. It sounded harmless enough, completely consistent with what Garner Parrad had said.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "You want porno pictures of me and Sasuke?" he checked.

Klennethon Darrent appeared to recoil slightly. "Nothing of the sort. Nude posing. Very tasteful. Not to be published, just to be used by artists as inspiration." He stood up, forcing them to stand also. "Garner will conduct the detailed negotiation. He will come to your villa. Miriam will see you out. We will meet again before you lift."

Sasuke waited until the neat, slim woman had shown them out.

"Porno pictures? Dobe!" he complained as they walked down the front steps.

Naruto scowled. "Teme! That's what they are. He's just a dirty old man. Like Jiraiya but richer."

Sasuke shrugged. "We will listen to what Garner Parrad has to say."

Naruto grinned. "I didn't say we shouldn't give him the porno pictures." He jumped down the last ten steps, then turned and put his arms out.

Sasuke checked there was no one watching, then jumped. Naruto caught him, tossed him in the air and caught him again.

Klennethon Darrent watched and smiled; the move had gone extremely well.

* * *

Iruka stared at the list. "The more of us pose in the nude, the more credit we get," he stated.

Sasuke flinched. He was glad that he had he had asked Garner Parrad to leave while they discussed the deal between themselves. "They want images with clothes on as well but we would need to pose naked," he agreed. "Of course Konohamaru and Sumaru will not be included in the nude posing."

"They are on this list," Iruka observed.

"It will be a non-negotiable point," Sasuke insisted.

"Good," Iruka stated. "And to get the big prize, some of us must to do this 'joint posing'. You two. Kakashi and I. Hamaki, Terai and Fu."

"Yes," Sasuke admitted. He had wondered at the trio's inclusion and at Shikamaru and Neji's absence from the list.

"And the big prize is…?"

"It is a device for improving holes so a Mulligan drive ship can jump through more holes. We would have one. We could not sell it or allow it to be copied."

Iruka sniffed. That was a huge prize. It would give them a massive advantage over other spacer crews. "And this joint posing? Kakashi and I are not going to fuck in front of a camera."

"No fucking," Sasuke assured him. "Tasteful touching."

"Naruto was at the meeting with Klennethon Darrent. He describes them as porno pictures," Iruka reminded him.

"That's Naruto," Sasuke replied.

Iruka sniffed. "If the joint posing is a tasteful as you say, I will consider it."

They finalised the deal and began the imaging, which was implemented in a purpose built room. The schedule indicated that it would take three days, after which they would lift for the Oak. There they would be joined by Klennethon Darrent's engineers, who would fit the improver.

* * *

Shikamaru fingered the note in his pocket as he slipped out of the villa. Everyone was asleep. Astonishingly, everyone stayed asleep. He wondered if they had been drugged and, if they had, how he had been exempt.

Elessen had two moons, one of which was full and bright. It was easy to follow the small illuminated flyer that had been sent to guide him. Instead of leading him up the front steps it guided him around the side, through a manicured garden towards a veranda. The man sitting there stood as he approached.

"You are here," Klennethon Darrent observed.

Shikamaru wished he fully understood why he had chosen to come. The note had contained vague threats and gentle promises. He still wanted to meet the person who had written the communication he had been sent on Tarrasade. He was trembling slightly. He should have shown the note to Sasuke. He felt guilty.

"I am here," he admitted and stepped forward into the soft light of the lanterns. Klennethon Darrent was tall and cruelly handsome. His slight smile sent shivers down Shikamaru's spine.

The man came closer and Shikamaru found himself frozen to the spot. He was having trouble thinking and for some bizarre reason he was reminded of Naruto. Klennethon Darrent took his left hand and rubbed the ball of this thumb back and forth across his duty ring.

"Perhaps I should have asked for this," he said. "It is priceless and doubtless belongs in my collection."

Shikamaru knew that Klennethon Darrent was referring to him as well as the ring. To emphasise his meaning Klennethon Darrent lifted the hand to his lips and kissed it. Shikamaru pulled away. He knew that he should not have come. He would run back to the villa, wake Sasuke and confess.

Klennethon Darrent did not let go of his hand. One tug and he was too close. Shikamaru suddenly knew why Klennethon Darrent had reminded him of Naruto. The only time he had been more frightened was when Naruto had lost his temper.

"I have forgetting pills," Klennethon Darrent informed him.

Shikamaru froze. Taking the pills would eliminate memories for a set period of time.

"Perhaps you were here last night. Perhaps I want you because I remember what we shared yesterday."

Shikamaru teetered on the edge of panic, then recovered. That had been very clever. It had almost worked. The fear receded. He relaxed, knowing that Klennethon Darrent would do likewise, then pulled away and stepped back.

"It was a mistake to come," he stated. "I will go now. True, you could stop me, you could rape me and you could force me to forget but I do not think that is what you want."

Klennethon Darrent's smile had gone. "I could pull out of the deal."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I know this is only a side game. I do not think you will jeopardise your prime objectives. I belong at Sasuke's side. You know that. Naruto and I are the difference between him being a good leader and him becoming the legend you want him to be."

Klennethon Darrent gave the tiniest of nods. "I thought my trap would hold you, Shikamaru. I am impressed. Frustrated, but impressed. You should go now, before I decide that short term pleasure outweighs long term satisfaction."

Sasuke blinked owlishly. He had not expected Shikamaru to drag him out of bed in the middle of the night. Naruto had been momentarily alert, then happy to return to sleep when he realised it was only Shi-chan.

Then Shikamaru told him what he had done and all thought of sleep vanished. "You idiot, Shikamaru!" he yelled with emphasis but little volume. The last thing they needed was an audience. He was glad that Shikamaru had dragged him into the bathroom and shut the door.

Shikamaru flushed. "I know. It never occurred to me that he wanted to fuck me. I thought I could play off the fact he would want me to work for him to get extra information. I wanted to know who composed that first message."

"You did not tell me about the note," Sasuke observed.

Shikamaru hung his head in shame. "I am sorry, Sasuke-sama." He slipped the ring from his finger and proffered it.

Sasuke took it and, for a moment, allowed Shikamaru to think he might keep it. Then, having punished him enough, he took Shikamaru's hand and pushed it back into place. On impulse he followed up with a hug, only to have Shikamaru relax into him.

"He was frightening," Shikamaru whispered. "Not as terrifying as Naruto that time but comparable."

Sasuke tightened the hug. By the Lady, when had the skinny geek become this vulnerable creature that men wanted? Who, at that moment, even Sasuke wanted. He pushed Shikamaru gently away. "Go and sleep with Naruto," he ordered. "It will make you feel better. Go!" he emphasised.

Once Shikamaru had gone Sasuke sat on the edge of the bath. They knew that Shikamaru's judgement could be suspect. When travelling at speed in a given direction he could forget anything other than his objective. However, it was worrying that none of them had realised what was happening. It was deeply troubling that Neji had been blind to it.

* * *

The next day was the last and Sasuke was scheduled to pay his respects. Sasuke lectured Naruto as they walked up the steps, wishing that he had ordered Shikamaru to stay silent. Naruto now disliked Klennethon Darrent.

They were taken on a tour of part of the collection. Initially Naruto lurked in the vicinity but he quickly lost interest in Klennethon Darrent's descriptions of each piece's origins and his speculations about the artist's intent. He began wandering slightly further afield, peering intently at the more beautiful of the objects.

"You are immensely privileged to have the two of them," Klennethon Darrent said suddenly, his tone still conversational.

Sasuke realised that showing him the collection had been a ploy to distract Naruto. He waited.

"The love triangle aspect of your tale has potential. His unrequited love for you. Your love for someone who is, by his nature, ephemeral."

Sasuke was momentarily distracted by the notion that Shikamaru might love him before fastening on what Klennethon Darrent was saying about Naruto. "What do you mean, 'ephemeral'?" he demanded.

Klennethon Darrent turned to him with a small, cruel smile. "Surely you realise. Foxes do not live as long as humans."


	48. Standing firm

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you for the reviews, they are very welcome.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**48. Standing firm**

* * *

Sasuke managed to contain himself as they moved out of the villa, lifted and docked. He pretended to ignore Naruto's watchfulness, Shikamaru's anxiety and Iruka's concern. He ordered Rin to his office as they exited the Sakura, followed her in and shut the door.

"How long is Naruto's lifespan?" he demanded.

Rin's chin came up and her nostrils flared slightly. "I cannot answer that question. It is a matter of confidentiality."

Sasuke clung to the edge of his temper. "How long would you expect a fox-human hybrid to live, if he or she died of old age," he asked through clenched teeth.

"That is impossible to answer. Each hybrid is unique."

Sasuke lost it. He slammed Rin into the wall, his forearm pinning her across the collarbones. "Tell me how long Naruto has to live," he snarled. He could see that Rin was still considering refusing. He shifted his arm to press against her throat.

"Based on telomere analysis, another twenty standards, if he dies of old age," she admitted.

The anger was washed away by dread. He let her down carefully, walked to his desk and sat down. As a human on age retard, Sasuke could expect to be active for more than a hundred standards. Naruto would be dead at forty.

"Does he know?" Sasuke asked.

Rin hesitated. "I have told him. I have also told him that age retard only works on humans and that he cannot have nanobots. He never reacts when I tell him such things. You saw what he was like when we were discussing children."

Sasuke's gut twisted. "No age retard?" he whispered; Naruto would spend most of his remaining time aging or aged.

"The standard age retard will not work," she confirmed. "I have started researching treatments. I do not think we will be able to extend his lifespan but we may be able to delay the symptoms of aging."

"Thank you, Rin-san," Sasuke replied. "Please continue the research. Perhaps you should contact the scientist you mentioned."

"Kabuto," Rin confirmed. "Yes, I will do that."

Sasuke was empty. "I apologise, Rin-san, for my behaviour. I would appreciate it if you did not discuss this with anyone. Please close the door on your way out."

"Sasuke-sama," she acknowledged and withdrew.

* * *

Naruto had seen the small, cruel smile on Klennethon Darrent's lips as he obliterated Sasuke's innocence. He had been suspicious of him on their first meeting and disliked him greatly after his play for Shikamaru. Naruto now loathed him.

Sasuke had been hiding in his office since speaking to Rin. It was as Naruto had feared. This had been his reason for keeping the truth from Sasuke as long as possible; Sasuke would obsess about the aging, dying and dead Naruto.

The others were beginning to worry. Asuma had tried consulting Sasuke about fitting the improver and been ordered to see to it in his role of captain. He and Kakashi had taken Shikamaru and Neji with them to speak to the engineers; Neji to divine their intent and Shikamaru to glean what information they could about how the improver worked.

"Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked gently from the open doorway to the room he and Sasuke shared. "Have you and Sasuke argued?"

"Not yet," answered Naruto truthfully. "Klennethon Darrent told Sasuke something."

"Is it something I should know?" Iruka asked.

"Probably," Naruto admitted. Shikamaru knew, but Naruto did not know if anyone else had worked it out. "Maybe we should go to the galley?"

Iruka took it well. He was far more concerned about Naruto than about the future. It was nice.

"It is another part of being me," Naruto explained, "like the monogamy and the berserker thing." He decided not to mention the not being able to have children thing. "I have known about it for ages. Rin told me. It didn't seem that bad. Before I joined the Silver Leaf I never knew if I would live to see another day."

"But you did not tell Sasuke," Iruka observed.

Naruto merely looked at him.

Iruka sighed. "We will have to help him come to terms with it." He finished making tea and placed a cup in front of Naruto. "Now, can you tell me what is wrong with Shikamaru?"

Naruto was thankful to think about someone else. They had agreed not to keep the close call a secret. "Klennethon Darrent tricked Shikamaru into having a private meeting without telling Sasuke."

Iruka was horrified. "How bad was it?" he asked.

"We are lucky that Shi-chan made it back," Naruto admitted. "Klennethon Darrent wanted him. It is difficult imagining him not getting something he wanted."

Iruka shook his head. "Sometimes I think that being with Neji has been bad for him."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "Sometimes?" he queried. "It was fine before they fucked." He took in Iruka's reaction. "You agree."

"I encouraged Shikamaru to submit to him," Iruka confessed. "I thought it would be a way forward. I never meant it as an end in itself."

It had been good to talk to Iruka. It had helped Naruto make a difficult decision; he had to make Sasuke accept him for what he was. He would no longer comfort him when he started brooding about things that could not be, like little Narutos and having Naruto with him for the whole of his life. Sasuke could stew in his office for as long as it took; Naruto was not going to him.

Instead Naruto was going to help Shi-chan.

Neji returned from meeting with the engineers first, leaving Shikamaru to continue learning about the improver. Naruto waited until Neji went to his ridiculously neat room and then knocked on the doorjamb.

Neji looked up from what he was doing. "Naruto-san?"

Naruto chose to take that as an invitation and stepped over the threshold. "I wish to speak to you about Shi-chan in my role as his best friend." He closed the door behind him. He could smell Neji's fear. Maybe he was right to be a little frightened but Naruto did not want him to be too scared to think. He sat down on the floor.

Neji hesitantly sat on the bed.

"Shi-chan has told you about his meeting with Klennethon Darrent?" he queried.

"Yes. He says it was an error in judgement," Neji said in a voice that was little more than a whisper.

"You should have seen it coming," Naruto accused. "It is your job to read people."

Neji looked away. "I cannot read Shikamaru. He is too complex."

Naruto was not going to be deflected. "He should have told you. You are his lover."

"He did not tell you," Neji retaliated. "You are his best friend. He did not tell Sasuke. He is sworn to Sasuke." Neji's aggression fell away. "We almost lost him, Naruto."

So Neji knew the true extent of the danger. Naruto chose his sharpest dart and launched it. "He is lonelier now than before he met you."

There were tears in Neji's pale eyes. "I know. He would be better off without me."

Naruto imagined Shi-chan after Neji had told him he did not want him. "No!" Naruto ordered. "You make it work." He considered. "Go to Haku. Haku understands weird sex-stuff. If you sort the sex-stuff it will work. It worked before you fucked. Shi-chan was happy then."

"Haku?" Neji queried.

"Haku," Naruto insisted with confidence. "He understands Fu. And Tatsuji. I will speak to Haku so that he expects you."

Neji blinked. "Thank you, Naruto-san," he said, doubtfully.

Naruto went directly to the other crew room. As he had a room there he did not require permission to enter. He was pleased to see that Haku's door was open and that he was inside.

"Haku-san, may I speak with you?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto-san," Haku acknowledged. "Of course. It is a pleasure." He gestured Naruto inside and towards the bed.

Naruto slid the door shut behind him and sat on the bed. Haku sat on the stool with his back to the mirror.

"Shikamaru and Neji," Naruto began.

Haku rolled his eyes.

Naruto was relieved that Haku understood. "Please sort Neji out," he said simply. "I have asked him to come to you."

Haku considered and then nodded. "I will try. I will also speak with Shikamaru. It may be best to work with them together."

Naruto stood up. "Thank you, Haku-san." He was struck by a sudden thought. "I will be opening up my room here. You are queen of this part of the ship. It is correct that I should tell you."

Haku looked stunned. "Naruto?" he queried.

"It is between me and Sasuke," Naruto warned.

Haku bowed. "Naruto-san."

* * *

Sasuke woke at his desk. He felt foul. He needed the head. He was thirsty. Staying in the office was no longer an option. At least it was the middle of the night, so he should be able retreat to his room and a sleeping Naruto without an audience.

Only Naruto was not there. The bed had not been slept in. Sasuke began checking the lockers. Some of Naruto's things had gone. Not all, thank the Lady, but some; too many, even a few would have been too many.

He sat on the bed. He had barely spoken to Naruto since they had left Klennethon Darrent's villa. He had expected Naruto to come to the office but had been too preoccupied to worry that he had not.

Maybe he was sleeping with Shikamaru. Neji occasionally slept in his own room. Only that did not explain why some of Naruto's things were missing from the lockers.

Then he remembered that Naruto had a place in the other crew room.

Sasuke did not sleep for the rest of the night. In the end he gave up trying. He showered for a long time, tried to force his body into some semblance of normality and waited until it was just about acceptable to make an appearance in the galley. Iruka and Konohamaru were already there. He took his usual place at the table and thanked Iruka for the cup of tea that was placed in front of him. Iruka then sent Konohamaru on some errand, which Konohamaru accepted without comment.

Iruka sat down beside him and was on the verge of speaking, when the door to the other crew room opened and five of the elite fighters spilled in. Breakfast had begun.

The looks that the fighters gave him confirmed that Naruto had spent the night in the other crew room; they were confused and anxious. When Haku appeared he was neither; he looked at Sasuke as if he were a cockroach in Iruka-sensei's otherwise pristine kitchen.

Shino was utterly silent. Ibiki was painfully polite. Rin made the briefest of appearances and escaped. Jiraiya looked like he was recovering from a close encounter with a bottle of whisky. Shikamaru was trying to be invisible with unusual success. Neji looked like Sasuke felt. There was no sign of Kakashi.

Then Naruto arrived with Sumaru and the galley fell completely silent before bursting with sudden and forced conversation.

Gradually, then increasingly quickly, people started to leave. Food was quickly consumed or taken away. Sasuke stayed in his place. Naruto sat diagonally opposite him. Iruka loaded a tray with Kakashi's breakfast and exited, sliding the door shut behind him.

"You weren't there," Sasuke said quietly.

"I decided that I had waited long enough," Naruto told him.

"You knew where I was," Sasuke complained.

"You did not want to be with me," Naruto accused. "You preferred to brood about standards spent with an aged and dying Naruto."

So Naruto knew that Rin had told him. "Why didn't you tell me?" Sasuke whispered.

Naruto looked at him with sad eyes and drooping whiskers. "Because you would do what you did yesterday. You would obsess about changing the future. You would ruin the happiness we share."

The words struck deep but Sasuke refused to accept them. "I would not."

"You will be like you are about the children. You think constantly about the children who cannot exist when there are real children you can have."

That hurt; Sasuke struggled to find some solid ground. "I love you, Naruto," he insisted.

Naruto shook his head. "Do you? Do you love _me_? The hybrid. The one who can't have children. The one who only has five standards before I am past my peak. The one who will, in time, only live in your memory as your mother only lives in your memory."

Sasuke did not want to listen. He was on his feet. "I don't want to lose you. I won't lose you," he yelled.

Naruto stood. "Carry on like this and you will lose me now. You will have killed everything precious between us. Is that what you want? To kill it now?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke screamed. He picked up a plate and threw it past Naruto's head.

The plate smashed against the wall. Naruto turned and started to walk towards the door. A cup and another plate whistled past his head. Sasuke's aim was not that bad, Naruto knew he was not trying to hit him. Another object, it sounded like a plate, hit the door as he closed it behind him.

Out of habit he had used the door to their crew room. Anxious faces greeted him. He turned to Konohamaru.

"Go to Sasuke's office, find his lute and hide it where he won't think of looking for it," he ordered.

"He would smash his mother's biwa?" Konohamaru queried, flinching at the sound of another breaking dish.

"Do it, Kono-kun," Iruka told him. "It is not worth the risk."

"I am sorry about the broken crockery and the mess, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said calmly.

"Perhaps he will only smash what is out of the cupboards," Iruka suggested. There was the sound of furniture breaking. "Perhaps not," he observed.

"It's his father's temper," Kakashi informed them. "Only his father used to break people rather than dishes and chairs." He looked at Naruto. "You could stop him."

"I could," Naruto agreed. He sat down on the floor facing the door to the galley. "I will not." He turned to Iruka. "You said we should help him come to terms with it," he reminded him.

"I was thinking of something a little less violent," Iruka confessed.

Naruto waited. There was no indication of Sasuke leaving the galley to rampage through the ship, which was good. The sounds of breaking stopped, which was hopeful. Then, finally, he heard the first, small sob.

That was the sign for which he had been waiting. Naruto had no intention of making Sasuke face his grief alone or in public. He was through the door and had scooped Sasuke up. He was far more battered than Naruto had imagined; if he had been watching Naruto doubted he would have had the strength to let it run its course. He carried him through to their room and sat on their bed with Sasuke curled close to his chest.

"I do love you," Sasuke stammered between sobs. "All of you. Even the bad bits."

Naruto hugged him tightly. "Teme," he said fondly. He kissed his forehead. "I love you, my Sasuke."


	49. Answers

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to those who have left a review.

_To Iggy (who I cannot reply to directly). Yes, my Naruto can be a bit bossy when he decides to 'help' someone. The someone is usually Shikamaru (as his 'best friend') so it usually Neji who ends up bossed. However, it does not happen very often (promise)._

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**49. Answers**

* * *

Iruka stood in the wreckage of the galley. His eyes were drawn to his favourite tea set, which was sitting on one of the counters. It was sprinkled with dust but otherwise undamaged. He pointed it out to Kakashi.

"I think the lute would have been fine," he said, knowing how inane he sounded. Then he started to cry.

Ibiki managed to find two entire chairs so that Iruka and Kakashi could sit at the table while Shino made tea. He had to use the tea set; it was the only undamaged crockery available. Iruka leaned against Kakashi's shoulder and wept.

Kakashi's fingers made small circles on his back. "It's only stuff, Ir-chan," he whispered.

The tears stopped. Iruka pulled away so that he could look Kakashi in the face. "I don't care about the stuff," he retorted. "I care that we aren't going to have Naruto for as long as we should. I care that Sasuke can't cope with the thought of it. I care that we almost lost Shikamaru without even realising what was happening." He started to cry again. "I had to sit opposite Naruto and pretend that I was fine with what he was telling me. It was so hard."

"Do you want to go to our room?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka shook his head. "No. The others will need us. We must clean up this mess and have the galley ready for the midday meal."

There was an outbreak of activity in the fighters' crew room. Iruka heard Kurenai and the children. He wiped the tears from his face as Kurenai entered armed with brush and dustpan.

"Fu, Hamaki and Terai turned up at our cabin looking for Asuma," she explained. "They do that when they are worried." She began sweeping the debris on one of the counters into a pile. "Perhaps we need a container for the rubbish, Ibiki-san," she suggested. She looked towards Shino. "I have left the children with Fu and Hamaki in the crew room. Perhaps they would be better off with you, Shino-san. If you agree, Iruka-san."

Iruka managed a smile. "That would be sensible, Kurenai-san."

"Haku is organising the collection of crockery and chairs from the Sakura," Kurenai informed him. "We will soon have this sorted."

* * *

Haku had seen how Sasuke's display of temper had upset his fighters. Hamaki, Terai and Fu had run to Asuma. Choza had snacked. Inoichi had hidden in his room, Kunugi had suddenly been at Dan's side and Tatsuji had sat rocking. Even Gai had turned pale. Once it was over they were almost too happy. He commented on it to Dan as the two of them packed crockery in the Sakura's galley.

"No one was beaten, raped or killed," Dan replied. "These things happened when Fugaku-kyou lost his temper." He cocked his head at Haku. "You know what happens when Itachi-san loses his temper."

Haku shuddered. Dying was not something he wished to recall.

Dan considered. "Maybe it was a good thing. We have now seen what happens when Sasuke-sama loses his temper. He throws plates to miss. He breaks chairs. He even managed not to break Iruka-san's tea set. It was a very Sasuke-sama temper tantrum."

Haku smiled. Calling it a tantrum put the morning's events into perspective. They finished packing the crockery and found a hover platform to transport it.

* * *

They were taking their places at the table for the midday meal when Naruto arrived. He greeted Iruka with a hug. "Sasuke is asleep," he confided. He sat down, examined his plate as if looking for cracks and smiled.

They had already begun eating when, unexpectedly, Sasuke entered. He was pale; his obsidian eyes intense within sockets so dark they looked bruised. There was a graze on his chin and a cut on one cheekbone.

"I apologise for being tardy, Iruka-sensei," he said. He straightened his back and stood taller. "I apologise to you all for my behaviour this morning. It was unacceptable."

Those who had crewed on the Silver Leaf nodded their acknowledgment. The others stared, their expressions varying from shocked to disbelieving. Sasuke walked to his usual place and sat down. At first he kept his hands in his lap but once he had to use them the others found themselves looking at the torn and battered skin.

"Installation of the improver went well," Kakashi announced into the silence. "The engineers suggested testing it on holes that do not require improving. It will make a difference to travel times. Shikamaru-san has been doing some research on our route to the Wave system." He looked meaningfully at Shikamaru.

"Yes, a five division trip should take only two," Shikamaru confirmed. "It won't always make that much of a difference, because it depends on there being poor holes and us knowing about them." His eyes acquired a distant look. "I've always been interested in holes, so we know a lot about where there are poor holes." He came back to them and smiled. "I have integrated the information into our route calculator. Our travel time back to Tarrasade from here would be halved."

Asuma shook his head. "I still find it difficult to believe that anyone could invent such a device and then not sell it. Everyone would want one. It would revolutionise space travel."

"He does sell it," Sasuke observed. "People buy it. We bought it. The price we paid was high." He looked at Naruto and then moved his gaze so it rested on Shikamaru. "The price he wanted us to pay was even higher. For those of you who do not know, Klennethon Darrent tried to persuade Shikamaru-san to change allegiance. This was, of course, a ridiculous and unattainable objective, but Klennethon Darrent did not know that." Sasuke smiled. "He does now."

"He wanted him because he's a genius, not because he's pretty?" Fu checked.

Shikamaru flushed scarlet. There were many smiles and a few laughs about the table.

"I am sure that being pretty was a factor," Sasuke confirmed. "However, him being a type seven genius was probably more significant. Type seven geniuses are very rare." He was struck by a realisation and saw no reason not to share it. "Shikamaru's service is Uchiha's greatest asset."

Asuma chuckled. "And for all those standards we teased Kakashi about wasting his time looking for a genius cat," he recalled.

Sasuke caught Kakashi's eye. "Kakashi-sensei's wisdom is invaluable," he acknowledged.

Once the meal was over Naruto made his way over to Sasuke, leaned over him from behind, angled his chin carefully with a finger and kissed him. The others responded with a communal sigh of relief. Naruto smiled.

"You stay here for a while to reassure them," he said so quietly that no one else could hear. "I will be back later."

Sasuke feared he was too exhausted to pay each person the attention they deserved but he agreed with Naruto that it was important to try. Iruka stayed, aware that Sasuke might require support.

Fu, Hamaki and Terai watched him for some time under the guise of finishing their meal and drinking tea.

Jiraiya told him about the latest communication from the Silver Leaf, which confirmed that they would rendezvous after the next jump. After that their conversation wandered a little before Sasuke realised what he wanted and raised the possibility that Jiraiya might space on the Silver Leaf as Uchiha liaison. Jiraiya immediately came up with a list of reasons why it was unrealistic, including Tsunade's desire to have an all female crew. Even so, Sasuke could tell that he was pleased.

Konohamaru and Sumaru cleaned up the galley and then sat at the table working on a task Ibiki had given them. After a while, at Konohamaru's urging, Sumaru asked Sasuke a few questions about the ship's security system.

Haku produced a bedcover that he thought Naruto would like. He explained that he was showing it to Sasuke while Naruto was absent in case the mix of colours was too much for Sasuke's taste. Sasuke suggested that Haku give the bedcover to Naruto as a gift.

Choza consulted him and Iruka about the celebratory meal they were planning when the Silver Leaf docked with the Oak.

Rin appeared with her medical kit and insisted on looking at his hands. She was uncharacteristically gentle, even saying that Naruto had done a good job in treating the damage. She offered him the option of supergens and did not argue when he refused.

Shino brought Akemi to show Sasuke how well he could control his flyer. During the demonstration, Sasuke became aware of Shikamaru in the doorway to their crew room. He was leaning on the doorjamb with his hands thrust into his pockets. Sasuke acknowledged his presence with a look and Shikamaru nodded, agreeing to wait. Sasuke then concentrated on asking Akemi questions and listening carefully to the answers. There was much praise for his skill in managing not to crash the flyer for fifteen seconds. Finally Shino carried a waving Akemi away and Shikamaru made his way to the table and sat down.

"Should I go?" Iruka asked.

Shikamaru looked at him, frowning slightly. "Of course not, Iruka-sensei," he replied.

Iruka smiled. "Real coffee?" he asked.

Shikamaru's eyes lit up and even Sasuke liked the idea. Iruka found the small tin containing the precious beans and began the time consuming process.

"I have been thinking…" Shikamaru began.

Sasuke braced himself.

"…about Shino's question. The one about what the New Uchiha should be for."

"And?" Sasuke encouraged.

"Even only one improver makes a huge difference. It means that we can do things that other organisations cannot. It would allow us to be very successful traders. We would accumulate credit. Funds will no longer be a problem but there is also the issue of reputation.

"Unfortunately, much of the Old Uchiha reputation was about how ruthless they were and much of their success was tied up with the network of contacts created through accepting babies and children. You aren't going to be that ruthless and there is no way you are going to take people's babies.

"So we have to think of something else. What Naruto said stuck in my mind. He wanted Uchiha to be the good guys, the people you call when you get into trouble and I thought, why not?

"We could become problem solvers. People come to us with their problem. We analyse it, work out whether it can be solved and whether we are the right people to solve it. If we are, we give them a price and do it. We make it clear what kind of problem we will take. Eliminating your problem with pirates or slavers would be fine, cutting off your neighbour's trade routes would not."

Shikamaru coloured slightly. "This uses what you called your greatest asset, me, because I can think of solutions that would never occur to others. It uses the improver because that gives us speed and unpredictability. It uses the Uchiha intelligence gathering systems. It uses Neji because we would need to recruit the right people and there will be many negotiations. It uses the elite fighters because we will need to be effective militarily. It uses you and Naruto because the two of you are shaping up to be great romantic heroes and heroes rescue people." He paused. "It needs a lot more thought."

"I love it," Iruka declared from where he had stopped making coffee to listen more carefully to what Shikamaru was saying. "Professional heroes. What could be better than that?"

It had sounded too much like being mercenaries for Sasuke's liking, but Iruka's reaction made him reconsider. "It sounds interesting," he admitted. He suspected Naruto would think the same way as Iruka. "I like it," he decided, "but I am too tired to think properly."

They batted some of the ideas about while Shikamaru and Sasuke savoured their coffee and Iruka drank more tea. They began talking about recruiting many youngsters as trainees rather than a few as cats; an idea that pleased Shikamaru because it was a way of recruiting personnel to replace those who were no longer to be acquired as babies or children.

In the end Sasuke had to confess to being too tired to continue and Shikamaru left to add some of the new ideas into his simulations.

Sasuke and Iruka sat in silence for some time. Sasuke began thinking about the contrast between Shikamaru's vision of the future and his own miserable outlook the day before. Given the choice, he knew which one Naruto would choose. Naruto would make the perfect professional hero. Merely thinking about it made Sasuke smile.

"Happy thoughts?" Iruka queried.

"Naruto is right," Sasuke admitted. "What he and I have is amazing and wonderful and I would not swap the time we have already had together for a century with someone else. Another twenty standards would be a gift and a privilege." He looked at Iruka. "You and Kakashi must remind me of that if it slips my mind."

"And you must listen, Sasuke-kun," Iruka reproached him.

Sasuke looked at his hands. "I suppose it could have been worse," he suggested.

Iruka sniffed. "It was quite bad enough. You bullied Rin. You threw a temper tantrum. Worst, you ignored Naruto when your first thought should have been to go to him and ask how he felt. I did not know you were so self-centred and spoilt."

Sasuke felt himself flushing.

"As long as you learn from it," Iruka relented. He poured more tea. "Do you know why Klennethon Darrent did it? Why he told you?"

It was a good question. Sasuke was often impressed by Iruka-sensei's questions. "No," he admitted. "It might have been because Shikamaru chose us over him." He considered the question further. "It could be to make this folktale of his more compelling." Sasuke thought of his father and Itachi. "Maybe he hurts people to make himself feel better." He tried to smile. "He almost had me doing what he wanted but he underestimated Naruto."

Iruka smiled in response. "Yes, we are inclined to do that, us purebreds."

The coffee ensured that Sasuke was still awake when Naruto came for him but he swayed as he tried to stand. Naruto picked him up.

"I do not think Sasuke will be with you for the evening meal, Iruka-sensei," he observed.

"Dobe, I am fine," Sasuke complained.

"You need to sleep," Naruto insisted, carrying him through the shared area of the crew room and into their room.

"I had real coffee," Sasuke told him.

Naruto tried to look stern but his whiskers were moving as if he were smiling. "That was unwise," he stated.

"Iruka-sensei made it for Shikamaru," Sasuke told him. "Shikamaru has decided what Uchiha should be. He thinks we should be professional heroes."

Naruto could not resist smiling at that. "Shi-chan described us as professional heroes?" he queried.

"No, that was what Iruka-sensei called us once Shikamaru said what we should do. Shikamaru called it problem solving. It didn't sound as good when it was problem solving," Sasuke admitted.

Naruto put him on the bed and tried to move away. Sasuke refused let go and pulled him closer. "You smell nice," he murmured, rubbing his nose and cheek against Naruto's skin.

A soft growl rumbled in Naruto's throat. "Teme," he warned. "Your hands. And you are too tired. I will hurt you."

Sasuke ran the tip of his tongue up Naruto's neck and suckled on his earlobe.

Naruto whimpered.

"We can make sure my body is supported," Sasuke suggested. He nipped and sucked the skin over Naruto's collarbone. "Then you can fuck me. It will be nice."

"Nice?" Naruto queried, but he was already reaching for pillows and cushions.

Sasuke smiled, pleased to have won the argument, and began the task of removing his and Naruto's clothes. It was difficult because his hands were stiff but Naruto was keen to assist. Once they were naked, Sasuke hugged Naruto.

"Thank you, for this morning," he whispered.

Naruto pulled him closer.

"I was in a bad place," Sasuke admitted. "It was my fault. I put myself there. You forced me out of it. If our future is precarious, it only makes the present more precious."


	50. The ring

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are welcomed very warmly. Thank you to those who leave them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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* * *

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**50. The Ring**

* * *

Sasuke flexed his hands, pleased that the damage was almost resolved, and straightened his jacket. After much thought they had decided that he and Naruto would greet the Silver Leaf's crew at the docking bay. Not including Neji had been a conscious choice; these were allies.

Naruto looked magnificent as always. There was magic in the nonchalant way he wore his tags. Thinking about it, there was magic in the way he wore that amazing body. Sasuke dragged his mind back to business.

The inner door of the airlock opened and Tsunade stepped through. She looked well.

"Sasuke-sama, Naruto-san," she acknowledged. "Let me introduce my crew."

She gestured forward a woman of about Kakashi's age with dark curly hair and a pointed chin. "This is Suzume. She looks after us all."

Sasuke recognised the way they had used to refer to Iruka when he was still resisted being called queen. "Suzume-san," he acknowledged.

Her eyes were on Naruto. All their eyes were on Naruto. "Sasuke-sama," she replied, "Naruto-san."

Naruto gave a slight bow of acknowledgement.

Tsunade moved onto the next, another woman of similar age but taller with straight dark hair and large, expressive eyes. "Shizune-san is our medico. She is very much looking forward to meeting Rin."

There was a round of acknowledgements. Tsunade moved on to a younger woman with spiky violet hair and light brown eyes. Her stance yelled fighter. "This is Anko. Anko-san is responsible for security."

Sasuke noticed that they only merited a curt nod from Anko. This was not someone who gave respect that was not earned.

"These are Temari and Tenten," Tsunade continued, indicating two young women that Sasuke thought were a similar age to him and Naruto. The blonde, Temari, was staring at Naruto in a way that Sasuke was certain he did not like. The dark one, Tenten, was more concerned with checking out the exits, suggesting another fighter.

There was one other. "As allies and old friends?" Sasuke suggested.

Tsunade smiled and called the red-haired youngster to her side. The girl regarded him with fierce, brown eyes. "This is Tayuya, our cat. She is still a little rough," Tsunade admitted.

Feral was the word that came to Sasuke.

Sasuke gestured towards the exit. "Please walk with us to where the others are waiting to meet with you."

Thirty minutes later, Sasuke had decided that the mildest way of describing the scene was 'lively'. He thought of bringing the meal forward in order to trap the visiting females in their seats but that would not be fair on Choza. Apparently some female spacers, although members of a Traditional crew, regarded males with heterosexual tendencies as fair game.

Suzume was chatting up Ibiki, which was fine. Temari and Tenten obviously hunted as a pair and, having toured the room, were focusing on Shikamaru despite him being plastered to Neji's side. Worst, Anko was hitting on Kakashi, which had already stretched Iruka's courtesy beyond its limits. Sasuke scowled at Tsunade, who gave the impression of being too involved with a combination of whisky and Jiraiya to notice.

There was a sudden scuffle. Sumaru and Tayuya were fighting. Sasuke was surprised that the girl could hold her own. Naruto was there in a flash and had one suspended from each hand with his arms outstretched. He deposited the girl at Suzume's feet and then brought Sumaru to Sasuke; as he was too young to cat he was Sasuke's responsibility rather than Iruka's. Naruto gave the boy a quick shake.

"Do not embarrass us further," he ordered. "I am ashamed of you."

Sumaru flushed but his eyes were still wild. Sasuke wondered what the girl had said to him. Unfortunately, Tayuya was already away from Suzume, doubtless bent on causing more trouble. Sasuke decided it was time to do something.

"Stay close to Naruto," he told Sumaru and began walking with purpose towards Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama," he insisted.

She reluctantly turned towards him.

"Could you please ask Anko-san to come over and speak with me?" Sasuke asked her.

She and Jiraiya focused on where Anko was standing. The violet-haired woman was on the verge of moving into touching range of Kakashi.

"That is not good," observed Jiraiya. "Remember that time on Laratan when Iruka…"

Tsunade was already moving. She swept in and caught Anko's upper arm.

"Sorry to interrupt, Kakashi-san, Iruka-san. Anko, Sasuke-sama wishes to speak with you." She guided Anko in Sasuke's direction. "You idiot," she hissed, "Iruka may look harmless but he'll gut you if you touch Kakashi."

"He isn't wearing a ring, " Anko complained, far too loudly. "I don't hit on the ones wearing rings."

Sasuke flinched. He saw Jiraiya's eyes close. There was no way that Iruka had not heard. Sasuke risked a glance. Iruka was as white as someone with his skin colour could become, which was an unpleasant beige.

It was a not a good time for a rerun of the ring issue. Kakashi had never offered a love ring to Iruka, so Iruka refused to contemplate giving one to Kakashi. The lack of a ring rarely caused a problem because one look at Kakashi was enough to stop anyone with basic survival instincts approaching Iruka. Sasuke had never experienced what happened when Kakashi was the target, but obviously Jiraiya and Tsunade had.

Sasuke managed a sensible-sounding query about security while docked, which Anko answered with the minimum number of words. She then turned to Tsunade.

"Who else is off limits?" she demanded.

Tsunade looked helplessly at Sasuke.

"It would be best if you would avoid those who are, at this time, in an exclusive relationship," Sasuke suggested. "That is Naruto and myself, Kakashi and Iruka, Neji and Shikamaru, Rin and Dan and Asuma and Kurenai. It may also be wise to avoid Hamaki, Terai and Fu. Fu can be unpredictable."

Anko grimaced. "That's all the attractive ones except…" She focused on Shino and set off, humming.

"They are always like this?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade shrugged. "Anko is the worst," she admitted but she was looking towards where Tenten and Temari were still trying to separate Shikamaru from Neji. It looked like their strategy was for Tenten to distract Neji so that Temari could corner Shikamaru.

Sasuke was considering sending Naruto when Haku bore down on the quartet towing Gai.

The meal was easier. The traditional Uchiha arrangement of low tables made physical interaction less likely. Sasuke was pleased that he had asked Choza to reduce the available whisky by two-thirds. Most of the remainder was making its way down Tsunade and Jiraiya's throats.

Tayuya's table manners were appalling.

He heard Anko asking Shino if there would be a party. His denial was uncharacteristically loud and blunt.

"Music would be good," Tsunade announced, waving her cup. "We're good at music and singing."

It was worth trying. Sasuke asked Konohamaru to get his lute.

It worked. Amazingly, Tayuya was phenomenal on the flute, which had the added bonus of keeping her busy. Tenten drummed well. The singing was lively, although Iruka was unusually silent.

It was not a party but there was some dancing. Temari danced well, followed by Terai and Fu. Naruto looked at him and Sasuke nodded.

No one could dance like Naruto. Sasuke's fingers flew over the strings and the frets. Tayuya's flute never faltered. Tenten reinforced the rhythm with her drum.

It was joyous.

* * *

Iruka sat in the empty hall. He had told Kakashi to go ahead and that he would soon follow. He was so tired. He yearned for his simple, small world on the Silver Leaf but it no longer existed; the Silver Leaf had a crew of loud, crude women. He looked at his duty ring and thought of what it represented, an ever-expanding responsibility where stability was constantly sacrificed for change.

He remembered Naruto dancing and the pride on Sasuke's face as he watched him.

Iruka wanted to cry.

He went to the Sakura and the bunk he shared with Kakashi. It did not look right, because most of their possessions were in their room on the Oak, and it did not smell right, because he and Kakashi had not been sleeping there.

The woman's words had struck deep but Kakashi's behaviour had hurt him more. One overt gesture of affection and the whole sordid scene would have been over. Instead Kakashi had stood there thinking it was a great joke to have a sexy woman hitting on him while Iruka bridled.

By the Lady it was painful to be your life's love's second best.

Iruka lay down on the bunk and wept.

* * *

Kakashi had seized the opportunity to share a drink with Ibiki and Shino. His eye kept going to the door, expecting Iruka to appear and frown at him. It was only when Ibiki moved to fill his cup for the third time that the uneasy feeling started. He gestured the bottle away and stood up.

Iruka was not in their room, or the shower, or the head, or the bathroom, or the closet. He walked back to the hall but he was not there either. He clung to the hope that their paths had crossed and made his way back to the crew room. All the lovers were in their rooms and there was a full-blown drinking session in the galley. They were playing cards and gambling. His and Iruka's room was still empty.

He tried searching again before desperation took him to Asuma and Kurenai's apartment. There was a long delay before Asuma answered his knock.

"Kakashi?" he queried. Then he took in Kakashi's expression and gestured him inside.

"I can't find him," Kakashi admitted.

"Find who?" Asuma asked gently.

"Iruka. He didn't come back to the crew room. I don't know where he is."

Asuma looked at him. "Perhaps he doesn't want you to find him. After that scene with Anko, who could blame him? I was amazed he held it together for the rest of the evening."

Kakashi felt himself flush. "Was it that bad?" he asked.

Asuma shook his head. "You are an idiot. Yes, it was that bad. You gave an unattached vibe to a stranger with your lover standing only five paces away. By the Lady, Kakashi, he lives his life for you and sometimes you treat him like he was some casual squeeze."

"I do not!" Kakashi complained. "Maybe I got it wrong tonight, but he's my partner. Everyone knows he's my partner."

"Anko didn't," Asuma reminded him. "You take him for granted, Ka-chan. You never had to win him; you've had him since he was a cat. You don't give him presents. I've never heard you pay him a compliment. Everyone knows you have never offered him a ring and everyone thinks they know why."

Kakashi no longer wanted to listen. "I need to know he is safe," he stated.

Asuma sighed. "I'll get dressed. Then we'll go scan the ship."

There were only twenty-three people on the Oak and that gave Kakashi the clue he needed. Jiraiya was on the Silver Leaf, which was the last place Iruka would be. He might, however, be on the Sakura.

He was there, asleep. His jacket was carefully hung and his boots neatly placed but he was sleeping in his clothes and his hair was still up. Kakashi retreated and contacted Asuma. He then crept back to Iruka's side. Running his fingertips across the pillow confirmed what Iruka's face had already told him; he had cried himself to sleep.

Kakashi knew he often hurt Iruka. He never hit him or used harsh words. It was always what Kakashi did not do or did not say. He would hurt him and Iruka would take a deep breath and continue through the pain as if nothing had happened. Afterwards Kakashi would hold him or make extra effort the next time they fucked. That was their pattern.

This was not. Or perhaps it was. Maybe, if he walked away, Iruka would be there in the galley in the morning offering some half-baked excuse about falling asleep that Kakashi could accept. Everything would continue as normal.

Kakashi rubbed his fingertips together, remembering Iruka's tears.

Was Iruka's pain always this bad? Was this what that deep breath usually covered? Was tonight different only because Iruka's reserves had run low?

Or had the pain been significantly worse because, this time, Kakashi had publicly humiliated his lover?

Could he offer Iruka a ring?

Would Iruka accept it?

Would it help?

It was not true that Iruka had never offered him a ring. It had been soon after Iruka had been promoted to crew. He had been shyly proud that Kakashi had claimed him. Young and innocent, he had bought Kakashi a ring. Kakashi still remembered Iruka's expression when Kakashi had put it on his right hand rather than his left. Kakashi had not loved Iruka then. He had only claimed him to keep him safe until he could develop into the queen for the Silver Leaf that Kakashi needed.

Kakashi turned and left.

* * *

Iruka did not know what had woken him. Sleeping had helped. He put on his boots and jacket. He checked the time. Kakashi might have noticed his absence. He opened a locker and took out the first thing he saw, a tapestry cushion. He would say that he had gone, on impulse, to fetch it from the Sakura, laid down for a few minutes and fallen asleep. It was believable enough that Kakashi would feel no obligation to query it. He washed his face, fixed his hair and set off.

He heard Kakashi's step before he saw him. There was no time to decide if Kakashi looking for him was good or bad. He schooled his features and raised the cushion.

"I fell asl…" he began before the cushion was ripped from his hands and Kakashi was kissing him. Iruka melted into his arms, all thought of the evening's disappointments washed away by desire. Kakashi did that to him. He had always done that to him.

Then the familiar pattern broke. Kakashi's arms moved down his body as he sunk to his knees. He hugged Iruka about the hips. His cheek was against Iruka's abdomen.

"I am sorry, Ir-chan," Kakashi whispered, "for every time I have made you feel like that."

Iruka was not sure what Kakashi meant. He stroked the wild, grey hair.

"I know you went to the Sakura so no one would see how upset you were. So that I would not see how upset you were."

Iruka's fingers stilled. It was not that Kakashi knew, it was that Kakashi was admitting that he knew.

Kakashi hugged him closer. "I love you, Ir-chan. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Time slowed. Iruka had long ago given up hope of hearing words like that from Kakashi.

Kakashi looked up at him. Iruka realised that his silence had scared him.

"I love you, 'Kashi. I have since I was fourteen. You know that."

"I know that," Kakashi admitted. He stood up, walked to the discarded cushion and booted it down the corridor. He came back, took Iruka's hand and started to walk towards the crew quarters.

Kakashi never held hands with him, except for a joke and then only for a few seconds. Iruka looked down at their linked hands and saw the ring on Kakashi's heart finger. He stopped and pulled Kakashi to face him.

"I don't want you to wear it just because that purple-haired vamp had no manners," Iruka told him.

Kakashi shook his head. "It wasn't true when you gave it to me. It is now. Will you wear mine?"

Iruka smiled. "Of course." He lifted the hand that bore his duty ring. "It would be nice to have a visual reminder of why I burdened myself with this." He stepped close and gave Kakashi a quick hug. "I love our family, but it sometimes it can be hard."

Kakashi pulled the tie from his hair and kissed him gently on the lips.

Iruka felt himself blushing.

They could hear the noise from the galley as they approached the crew room. There was singing and shouting; the unmistakable sounds of a group of drunken gamblers.

Iruka sped up. "It's the middle of the night. Where did they find that much whisky? Why didn't Sasuke stop them?"

"He's probably stuck on Naruto's knot," Kakashi reminded him.

"Haku then. I knew he was too young for the responsibility of running a crew room."

At that exact moment Haku's voice cut across the noise.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Iruka-sensei takes some private time and look what you do. This stops now. You tidy up and you go to bed or I will tell Iruka-sensei that you fed Kono-kun enough whisky to make him hurl. Shino-san, how could you let that happen? And I am not cleaning up the puke and neither is Konohamaru."

Iruka surged towards the door but Kakashi stopped him.

"Haku is coping fine. Kono-kun will survive. You can lecture them tomorrow when they have hangovers. Let's sneak into our room for that 'private time'."

Iruka battled with himself for a few moments, then relaxed, smiled and crept with Kakashi towards their room.


	51. Problem solving

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to those who have left a review, particularly those who review regularly. Reviews are very, very welcome.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future histofry. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**51. Problem solving**

* * *

Neji knew he needed help; almost losing Shikamaru had convinced him. He was less sure that Haku was the best person to provide it. However, Haku was Naruto's choice and Neji was not going to say no to Naruto.

The elegant creature before him felt like a stranger. Haku had his long hair down and was wearing a pale blue silk kimono. His cosmetics had been exquisitely applied. His fingernails were long and painted silver.

"We could talk in your room if you would prefer," Haku offered.

Haku's room was ordered and smelt particularly pleasant. "This is fine, Haku-san. It is a lovely room."

"I could wear something less feminine."

Neji realised he must appear uncomfortable. "You are also lovely, Haku-san."

Haku laughed. "Yet you do not find me attractive, Neji-san."

It was true. "I only want Shika," he admitted.

"And who can blame you?" Haku asked. "Given what spills into everyday life, how gorgeous must he be when he is naked and waiting for you?"

Neji's shock did not prevent him becoming immediately and acutely hard. He flushed scarlet with embarrassment and thought about leaving.

Haku did not laugh. He did not even smile. "He is what you wish him to be," Haku reminded him. "He wants to please you. He is utterly submissive because it makes you happy."

Neji's erection vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Why does it make you happy, Neji-san?" Haku asked. "You are not that much of a dom. I would know."

"I do not know," Neji replied.

Haku studied him. "Come back when you are willing to tell me."

Neji opened his mouth to protest and then closed it. He stood up, bowed and took his leave.

* * *

The atmosphere in both crew rooms still crackled with the fallout from the evening before. Neji was thankful that he and Shika had been ensconced in Shikamaru's room. Breakfast had been interesting. Iruka had insisted that everyone but Konohamaru, Jiraiya, Asuma and Kakashi attend. There had been much banging of pots and dishes. The guilty had swiftly given themselves away.

Neji and Shikamaru had eavesdropped on the lecture from the crew room. Iruka-san had been on excellent form. The guilty from among the elite fighters emerged particularly chastised; Gai-san was heard to mutter that he would have preferred a beating. Shino had been the recipient of an extra five minutes of individual attention. When he had emerged from the galley Shikamaru had asked him to join them but Shino had shaken his head and vanished into his room.

So Neji was pleased to find them both in the laboratory after he left Haku's room. It was in the laboratory, whether in Tarrasade, on the Sakura or on the Oak, that Shika was most like the Shikamaru he had first met. The normality helped him put Haku's challenge to the back of his mind.

"We have been discussing the ladies," Shikamaru told him.

"Ladies?" Neji queried.

"Be fair, Neji," Shikamaru reproached him. "Once they realised we were together it was like a game. It was obvious they weren't serious."

It was true but Neji had not liked the way Temari had wanted his Shika.

"Shino thought Anko-san was rather fun," Shikamaru told him.

Shino gasped his disbelief and then pinked. "Perhaps so, in retrospect," he admitted. "At the time she was more than a little scary. Ibiki likes Suzume," he reminded them as a rather obvious diversion.

"Maybe Sumaru and Tayuya will grow up to be sweethearts," Shikamaru suggested, which made all three of them laugh.

Neji drank in Shikamaru: his voice; his movement; his looks; his laughter. This was the Shika he wanted; the Shika he missed.

* * *

Haku was not expecting Neji to return with an answer so soon and certainly not to waylay him at one end of the galley while everyone was settling to the midday meal.

"I don't want him to be submissive," Neji told him in a low voice. He steeled himself. "If he always submits I never have to."

Haku touched his cheek in recognition of how difficult the admission had been. Then Haku's attention was captured by a ripple of activity that had all the hallmarks of gossip. Suddenly Konohamaru was beside them, his eyes sparkling despite his alcohol-induced pallor.

"Kakashi is wearing a ring on his heart finger," he whispered.

They swiftly joined the others at the table. Haku, like the others, stared at Kakashi's hand. Although the ring itself was unimpressive, Kakashi wearing it was monumental. Haku's attention, like everyone else's, switched to Iruka's naked heart finger. There was the beginning of an ominous silence.

Kakashi sighed. "You will have to imagine it there, until I have an opportunity to buy one," he announced.

The chatter resumed. Haku had only just realised that Sasuke had left when he returned bearing a box the size of a tray with the Uchiha crest on the lid. He placed it on the table.

"Feel free but not obliged," he said simply and opened the lid.

Haku thought his heart would stop; so many gorgeous rings arranged like sweetmeats in a gift box.

"I collected them all together while we were in Tarrasade," Sasuke explained. "The ones at the left are the ones without the Uchiha symbol." He turned serious eyes to Kakashi. "Please tell me to put them away if that is what you wish, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei."

Kakashi looked to Iruka, who smiled. "They are lovely," he acknowledged. "Any one without a crest that fits would be perfect. If there is a choice, perhaps one of the simpler ones." He reached out and closed the lid. "Kakashi and I will choose one after the midday meal."

There was a concerted groan of disappointment, to which Haku was the loudest contributor.

The rings had distracted him; Haku almost forgot to speak to Rin. He hurried after her and asked if he could speak to her in confidence. She suggested he accompany her to the infirmary, where they went into her office.

"Is there a treatment for the psychological scars left by rape and other forms of abuse?" he asked.

Rin studied him. "Is this for you?" she asked.

Haku shook his head.

Rin sighed. "I won't try to guess. The number of possibilities is distressingly high. Yes. Although a highly skilled human therapist is the best choice, there are standard hypnotherapeutic treatments that have positive effects. I would have to supervise, Haku. I am sorry if that means that the person will be less likely to accept treatment."

Haku understood. Hypnotherapy could be dangerous in the hands of an amateur. "I will try to persuade him," he promised.

"You should train as a therapist," Rin said.

Haku was not certain he had heard correctly.

"I am serious," Rin assured him. "Even if you never treated anyone formally, what you learned would be useful. You have fabulous instincts but you would be even more effective with the relevant knowledge and expertise."

Haku was more shocked by Rin paying him a compliment than by the idea of studying. "I will think about it," he admitted. "Thank you for your time, Rin-san."

He could see no reason for delay. He checked the duty rotas and found that Neji was scheduled for fifty minutes' work in the shared closet. Haku and Iruka had come to a compromise about the closet. Haku had agreed to train Konohamaru and allow Sumaru in for short, strictly supervised sessions. In return, only crew on Haku's approved list were allowed to do closet duty: Sasuke, Iruka, Ibiki, Neji, Inoichi and Haku himself.

Neji was folding clothes. Even Haku could not fold clothes as beautifully as Neji.

"Neji-san?" he asked.

Neji finished folding a shirt and sliding it into the perfectly sized aperture in the shelving system Haku had designed. "Haku-san?" he replied.

"Please may we speak for a moment? I will make up the lost duty time when you have gone to your meeting."

Neji nodded and they each sat on one of the two dressing chairs.

"If you are serious about solving your problem you must undergo hypnotherapy," Haku informed him. "Rin-san would have to monitor the physiological impact. She would not have to know what you said. The therapy will work better if you allow me to listen. You cannot shock me, Neji-san. I have seen and heard too much.

"The therapy would work best if you share the outcomes with Shikamaru," he continued. He watched Neji tense. "I am not suggesting you allow Shikamaru to listen. We both know how naïve he is. Perhaps an edited version or a summary." Haku studied Neji's face. There was no expression.

"Neji-san?" Haku queried.

"I will think on it," Neji managed. He stood up, put this back to Haku and went back to folding clothes.

Haku decided that it was time for a word with Naruto.

* * *

Kakashi was still recovering from Iruka choosing a starlight diamond for his love ring. Not that Iruka had any idea of its value and Sasuke had not given the slightest hint that Iruka had picked the most expensive ring in the box. Instead Sasuke had emphasised that it was a practical choice, being a hard gemstone that Iruka could wear without having to worry about damaging it. Kakashi smiled. The ring suited Iruka; it was discreet and neat but shouted quality to anyone discerning enough to see it.

He and Sasuke were walking side by side towards the meeting room for the latest update on becoming profession problem solvers. Kakashi, like Shikamaru, refused to use the term professional heroes. In front of them were Shino and Ibiki, behind them walked Naruto and Neji. Shikamaru would already be there, worrying about his presentation. Hopefully Asuma and Gai were not yet there, because Gai could drive Shikamaru into a state where his explanations became incomprehensible.

"You have spoken with Haku?" Naruto asked Neji as they walked behind Kakashi and Sasuke.

Neji was glad that Naruto had not asked before; that morning had been the first time. "Yes," he answered. They walked on a little. "There is a long way to go," he admitted.

Naruto nodded. "Shi-chan has improved. You may already be doing more than you think."

Neji had begun setting limits as soon as they left Elessen; he no longer allowed Shikamaru to give without reservation.

"You are lucky," Naruto informed him. "You can address the cause of your problem. That is not possible for me and Sasuke."

Until that moment Neji had not felt lucky. Thinking about Naruto's future put his problem in perspective. Also, despite the hopelessness of his situation, Naruto had not shirked from taking the hard decisions necessary to drag Sasuke from his funk.

Neji thought of hypnotherapy. He imagined sharing his past with Shikamaru. He knew he must do both. Otherwise he risked destroying what he had, as Sasuke had been on the verge of destroying what he shared with Naruto.

"I will do so," he resolved.

Shikamaru's latest idea was a trial run. He had identified a system with a longstanding problem with slavers. Visiting the Kaze system would only require a minor detour.

"This is Temari-san's home system," Shikamaru told them. "I thought we could consult her."

Asuma scowled. "You only met the girl yesterday. Is this some unlikely coincidence or did you really come up with all this within a day?"

Shikamaru flushed. "Neither. I have been tracking the Silver Leaf's roster and its movements. I have collected considerable information about each crew member and their background. Sasuke-sama, Ibiki-san, Jiraiya-san and I reviewed their profiles to assess them as security risks."

"That is very unspacerly of us," Shino observed, which made Shikamaru turn an even deeper shade of red.

"But very Uchiha," countered Kakashi. "Let me guess, the reason Jiraiya is not here is because he is on his way here with Temari."

Shikamaru shrank slightly. "Not necessarily," he replied. "I have Rin lined up as backup. Temari has an interest in synthesisers."

Ibiki frowned. "Temari-san is from the family that most recently led the Kaze system. They failed in their last attempt to rid themselves of the slavers and were deposed. Do we want to raise the girl's hopes if there is a chance we will decide not to help?" he queried.

There was silence.

"The window of opportunity for a fact-finding visit is narrow," Shikamaru admitted. "I can show you the data."

Kakashi sighed. "Showing us the data is pointless, Shikamaru. None of us can understand it." He looked to Sasuke, who had been completely silent.

"We will speak to Temari-san," Sasuke decided. "But I will do the talking, at least initially."

Temari was accompanied by Tsunade and Tenten as well as Jiraiya. Sasuke presented their interest as that of one ally for another. He explained that Uchiha was seeking new allies after ten standards of lying fallow. He suggested that they were initially interested in understanding the slaver problem and was careful not to raise hopes of them solving it.

Her interest was immediate and absolute. She talked frankly about her home and its history. She described how the remnants of her family, including her brothers, were fighting a hopeless guerrilla war against the slavers. She admitted that one of her reasons for spacing was to seek help. When she had finished she looked directly at Shikamaru.

"I joined the Silver Leaf in the hope of meeting you, Shikamaru-san. If anyone can come up with a solution, it will be you."

There was total silence.

Temari smiled. "He has woven his way though the data streams since he was a child," she explained. "The Lady knows now many of the identities are his. We have found seven thousand, one hundred and eighty-two so far. We thought that we would never find the actual person, but a few standards ago there appeared a swirl in the flow and at the centre of the swirl was Uchiha.

"Oh, and I thank you for the information systems on the Leaf. Even purged, the architecture is by far the best I have ever used."

"We?" queried Shikamaru faintly.

"The Sunagakure," she replied.

His gaze went distant. When it refocused he said, "I see. I did not see the connections," he confessed.

Temari shrugged. "We are small, insignificant and peripheral." Then she smiled. "And no one is perfect, Shikamaru-san. Not even you."


	52. Family

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you to readers who have left a review.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

******Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by ********oo*****oo**

* * *

**52. Family**

* * *

They had invited the crew of the Silver Leaf to a training session in the largest gym. It started, as usual, with the elite fighters on the floor and everyone else in the gallery. Shikamaru and Neji were hosting Temari and Tenten. Shino was some way along the galley with Anko. Further still was Sasuke with Suzame, Shizune and Rin. Tayuya sat on the floor with Sumaru and Konohamaru.

"He is remarkably normal," observed Temari as they watched Naruto fighting Hamaki, Terai and Fu.

The other three looked at her in amazement and then back to Naruto who chose that moment to translate superhuman speed into a gravity defying jump.

"As a person," she clarified. "Whoever raised him did an excellent job. Was he raised by Uchiha?"

"No," Shikamaru answered. The general opinion was that Naruto had raised himself, expect for the handful of divs in the orphanage. Naruto himself was remarkably evasive on the issue. "He was given to us as reparations after a challenge. He was a young adolescent by then."

"Do you have a particular interest in hybrids?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru knew the question meant Neji was onto something. Temari was obviously considering her answer. They waited.

"Many organisations or societies have times in their history when they have tried to produce superwarriors." She gestured towards the elite fighters below to illustrate her point. "Kaze was tempted down the hybrid route. A man called Amachi came to my grandfather and told him that he could give us cohorts of hybrid warriors to fight the slavers. They had an insane scheme that each family would have one hybrid boy. They began with ten families and, of course, one of those ten families had to be ours. The experiment failed. All the women bearing the hybrids died. All the hybrids died but one." She looked towards Naruto. "My brother Gaara."

"One of the two brothers who are rendezvousing with us?" Shikamaru checked.

"Yes," Temari admitted. Her chin came up. "Gaara is an exceptional warrior," she stated.

The inference was that Gaara was less successful as a person.

"I am sure Naruto will enjoy meeting him," Shikamaru replied, trying to be truthful and non-judgemental.

Temari turned her deep blue eyes towards him. "You are everything and nothing like I expected," she admitted.

Shikamaru felt Neji's reaction. He did not dare look at him. He thanked the Lady that Neji's outward demeanour was so stoic.

She turned to Neji. "You do not deserve him," she stated.

"Temari!" scolded Tenten. "I apologise on Temari's behalf. Sometimes she has no manners."

"Do not apologise for me," Temari hissed. She gestured at Neji. "He has no clue. He has no clue what he has." She looked at Sasuke, whose attention had been captured by her tone of voice, then back at Shikamaru. "He knows. That's why he put that ring on your finger. To tie you to him. Clever boy." She turned on her heel and stalked away.

Tenten apologised again, this time with her eyes, and ran after her.

Shikamaru risked looking at Neji.

"Talking about her brother upset her," Neji observed calmly. "It is not surprising that she feels a connection to you; her organisation has been looking for you for so long." He took a deep breath. "She is correct. I do not deserve you. She is incorrect in saying that I do not know how special you are." He turned pale violet eyes to him. "How do you feel about her, Shika?"

Shikamaru tried not to panic. "She's interesting," he admitted. The Sunagakure's information collecting techniques are fascinating."

"Her, Shika," Neji insisted. "How do you feel about her?"

"She's pretty," he confessed, "but scary." He tried to put a fraction of his thoughts into words. "For her I will always be that wizard of the data streams. To you I am a person. I need to be a person. I love being part of this family and I love the fact that you are part of it too." He swallowed. "I love what we share. Even when it is tough."

Neji squeezed his arm. "I will tell Sasuke that something has come up and we must leave," he decided.

They walked along the corridor back towards the crew quarters.

"Haku and Rin are organising hypnotherapy for me," Neji told him. "We are going to work on sorting me out so the sexual side of our relationship can be more equal."

Shikamaru wondered how long it had taken Neji to come up with the words and how often he had rehearsed them. "That is brave of you," he acknowledged. "Thank you." He decided to take the risk. "May I be involved? I would like to help."

Neji kept his gaze in the direction they were walking. "Haku and I have discussed that. Neither of us wants you exposed to that type of… …filth." He held up a hand to forestall Shikamaru's protestations. "You say we are a family and I agree with you. There are few members of our family who have not been used badly by others. That innocence is precious to the rest of us. To start with, Haku will tell you how the session went while I am sleeping off the effects of the hypnosis. We will see if that works."

Shikamaru decided that this was not the time for the confession he had planned making. Neji would not appreciate knowing that he had long ago hacked into Neji's medical records and used the information to deduce the extent and the duration of the physical abuse Neji had suffered. If necessary, he would do the same with the hypnotherapy records.

"If you think that best," he agreed. "But remember, I am always willing to do more."

* * *

Back in the gym Anko and Tenten had been effective against Inoichi and Dan. That had impressed the elite fighters, particularly as Tenten was young. Temari appeared to be like Sasuke, highly trained and very skilled but more interested in training than in combat. Suzume and Shizune were of a similar standard to Shino.

They tried setting Tayuya against Sumaru but it was hopeless, the encounter immediately degenerated into something far more vicious and potentially maiming than training.

"May I try with her, Suzume-san?" Iruka asked. "And perhaps Anko-san would do Sumaru-kun the honour of training him."

The others watched as Iruka wore Tayuya down with his patience and consistency.

"He's amazing," Suzume murmured. "Tayuya has enormous potential but her behaviour…" She rolled her eyes. "I think Tsunade-sama could manage her but she refuses to try."

Sasuke considered and then decided. "Did you look over one of the crew rooms in the guest quarters, Suzume-san?"

She smiled. "Yes. It is very pleasant. Much more suitable for a crew than a unit or an apartment."

"Now that you are to stay with us past Kaze you should consider moving in there," Sasuke suggested. "Perhaps, if you wish, I could ask Iruka-sensei if Tayuya could visit our crew room occasionally to give you some respite."

Suzume looked towards where Tayuya was receiving a scolding for biting and, astonishingly, was listening. She was even colouring slightly as if she was actually feeling some remorse. "That is very kind of you, Sasuke-sama," she replied. "I would appreciate that."

Then, suddenly, Naruto jumped and captured something from the air.

"I almost 'neaked it past you, Naruto!" Akemi announced excitedly, running into the gym towards where Naruto was standing holding his flyer.

Naruto scooped the child up. "Almost, Akemi. Perhaps next time?"

"Up! Up, N'uto up!" demanded Misora, who had followed her brother.

Naruto put Akemi on his shoulders and held the little girl in the crook of his arm. He twitched his whiskers at her and Misora laughed.

Sasuke watched. It hurt less than it had. Then a thought crept into his mind. Even worse than not having children with Naruto would be if his children did not know Naruto.

Kurenai had followed her older children into the gym. Seeing that they were happy with Naruto, she unloaded Keitaro into Shino's willing arms and went to speak with Asuma.

Shino suddenly found himself the focus of a great deal of attention. Tenten, Temari and Anko were looking at him intently. He felt his skin colour slightly.

"Is he yours?" Tenten asked.

"No, Asuma and Kurenai are the parents of all three children. I am merely the babysitter."

"What's his name?" inquired Anko.

"How old is he?" asked Temari.

It was more than a little disconcerting.

* * *

Sasuke intercepted Rin on her way out of the gym and walked beside her along the corridor.

"I did see gestators on that horrifically long receipt with the astronomical total at the bottom?" he checked. "State of the art, portable gestators?"

Rin blinked. "Yes, Sasuke-sama."

"And all the gene and chromosome manipulation and analysis equipment anyone could possibly need?"

"Yes, Sasuke-sama. However all but four of the gestators and the main Uchiha tissue bank are in Tarrasade rather than on board. We have the back-up tissue bank on board, as is the new standard practice."

"You have four gestators on board?" Sasuke checked.

Rin shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."

"And you have all the Uchiha genetic analysis software? And you understand it?"

"Yes and yes. Sasuke-sama, it may be best not to rush into something like this," she warned.

"I am not rushing, I am moving forward with purpose," Sasuke told her. "I will be loading all the relevant programmes and models onto my console so that I can work on this without Shikamaru and Jiraiya spying on me. Please make sure they are available?"

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," Rin concurred with a sigh.

Sasuke then doubled back to the gym to find Naruto. As he suspected, Naruto was planning on showering and then soaking in the communal bath with the other elite fighters. He captured his hand and therefore his attention.

"Come bathe with me, back in the crew room," he whispered.

The others were smiling as Naruto excused himself; Sasuke was still holding his hand.

Iruka had been planning to indulge in a nice, long soak; Tayuya had been extremely hard work. However, one look at the disappointment on Sasuke's face and Iruka gave up the idea. A shower would have to suffice.

"Teme," accused Naruto. "Iruka-sensei worked hard with Tayu-kun. You did not even train and I could have bathed with the fighters. We should tell him we have changed our minds."

"Iruka-sensei will forgive me," Sasuke replied. "Please, Naruto," he begged.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched once. "Sasuke?" he queried.

Sasuke pulled him into the bathroom and locked the door.

* * *

Naruto loved being bathed by Sasuke.

******oo*****oo**

His Sasuke was down, betrayed by his suddenly relaxing muscles. Naruto surged out the bath towards him. Sasuke eyes widened and then he managed a small smile as he read the expression in Naruto's eyes.

Naruto washed him and then rinsed him, taking every opportunity to pet and even to groom. Sasuke usually stopped Naruto licking and nibbling his hair but this time he allowed it. Then Naruto carried Sasuke into the bath and took up a position facing him.

"You are being very nice to me," he said.

Sasuke had not expected Naruto to speak, at least not in anything resembling whole sentences. Talking usually signalled an intermission, something that Naruto never requested.

"I am happy," Sasuke told him. "You make me very happy."

Naruto smiled. It was like sunshine.

Sasuke smiled in return.

Then Naruto shook his head. "I like making you happy, but it is more than that. You are up to something. You have something to tell me. You were going to tell me at the end, when my brain isn't working properly."

Sasuke flushed. He was caught. He had discovered that a thoroughly fucked Naruto was a compliant Naruto. His dobe could be incredibly stubborn; once Naruto had said no he rarely could be argued out of it and even a compromise could be difficult to negotiate.

"Teme?" Naruto persisted.

Sasuke would have to improvise. "You were right," he began.

Naruto frowned at him. "When?" he asked. "About what?"

"You said I should think about the real children I could have," Sasuke reminded him. "Our ten little Uchihas."

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "Proper little Uchihas?" he checked. "Not little Narutos. Not babies that will not work."

It still hurt but Sasuke had accepted it. "Proper little Uchihas," he confirmed.

Naruto remained puzzled. Then realisation dawned. "Babies. You want babies now."

"It'll take at least three-quarters of a standard, Naruto."

"Professional heroes with babies?" he queried.

Sasuke could feel the fear growing inside him. Naruto was going to say no. At best he was going to say not yet.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked. His voice was gentle and his eyes were soft.

Sasuke was struggling not to cry. "I want them to know you, Naruto," he admitted. "I want them to remember you."

Naruto gathered Sasuke to him and held him close. "Not all ten at once," he whispered. "You are only allowed a small litter this first time. Three, maybe four."

Sasuke did not know whether to laugh or cry, so did both.

Naruto kissed away the tears.

* * *

.


	53. Babies

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Reviews are treasured. Thank you to readers who have left one or more of them.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**

* * *

**

**53. Babies**

* * *

Sasuke felt amazing. Fucking Naruto after they had agreed to have babies had been incredible.

The bath had been his favourite place to fuck Naruto since they had first tried it in Tarrasade. Being in the warm water kept Naruto relaxed and receptive; Sasuke did not have to worry about hurting him or triggering his foxy response. And Naruto loved it. Sasuke remembered the wonderful little noises he made; even the thought of them made Sasuke's toes curl.

They were back in their room. Naruto was curled up beside him on their bed. Sasuke relished seeing Naruto like this; so warm and content and satisfied. He glowed. Then there were his eyes; those glorious pools of blueness radiating love.

Naruto reached for him, wanting to be held. Sasuke moved so that he was sitting with his back against the wall. Naruto flowed into his lap with his arms around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke stroked him, revelling in the soft fur of his hair and the silken velvet of his skin. Naruto made small sounds of pleasure and pushed back against Sasuke's hand. His whiskers tickled.

"Want babies now," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke was surprised. Naruto had never spoken when he was like this. Usually he fell asleep. Occasionally Sasuke would risk seducing him. Although it was thrilling to see fluffy-soft-Naruto transform into growling-possessive-Naruto, the sudden change left Naruto at his most wild. It was safer to leave him to sleep.

Sasuke kissed his shoulder. "Babies take time, sweetheart."

Naruto snuggled close. "Start babies today," he conceded. "Three babies, two boys and a girl."

Sasuke imagined his eldest as a boy, then a girl followed by a younger boy. Or the girl could be the eldest; that would work. "Which should we have first? A boy or a girl?" he asked.

Naruto drew away, looked him in the face and frowned at him. "No eldest. A litter. We agreed. A litter."

Sasuke blinked. That was what Naruto had said in the bathroom; a small litter of three or four. Sasuke had thought he was joking.

Naruto suddenly looked incredibly sad. "A kit needs to be part of a litter," he whispered.

And Sasuke knew, without doubt, that Naruto had been a lonely little kit without littermates. How hard could it be to raise triplets? "A litter," he agreed. "Two boys and a girl."

Naruto's blue eyes were boring into him. "You promise?"

Sasuke did not hesitate. "I promise."

Naruto slid off Sasuke's lap and began to move about the bed. When he stopped he was out of touching range. He was trembling slightly. Sasuke wanted to comfort him but when he tried moving closer, Naruto moved away.

"Babies need somewhere warm," Naruto told him.

Sasuke's heart sank. Did Naruto have so little confidence in him?

"They mustn't have to find their own food," he continued. "Babies aren't good at finding food. They get hungry."

Sasuke's gut clenched as he realised that this was about Naruto's childhood. He imagined a baby Naruto scavenging for food. It hurt.

"They need people who care," Naruto informed him. "Lots of cuddles. Soft blankets and toys." He frowned at Sasuke. "No hitting. No one hits them."

Sasuke blinked back tears. "No one will hit them, Naruto, I promise."

"Or locks them in dark boxes," Naruto added.

Sasuke could not stop some tears escaping. "Never, Naruto. Never, I promise."

"Good," Naruto stated. "I trust you. You will look after them properly and love them."

He was rewarded by Naruto returning to him and cuddling close. There was silence. Sasuke petted Naruto's hair.

"Shi-chan," Naruto said suddenly.

Sasuke was not sure if he had heard properly. "Naruto?" he queried.

"Shi-chan. Just one. One baby must be yours and Shi-chan's."

Sasuke's mind filled with the possible consequences. Not that it would easy to get that far. He would need Shikamaru's permission to conceive the child. He was not sure that Shikamaru would give it. Sasuke could not imagine Neji being comfortable with the idea.

"Just one," Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke would arrange it somehow. His mind was already reviewing the possibilities. "One baby will be mine and Shikamaru's," he agreed.

"Promise?" Naruto checked.

"I promise," Sasuke said, sealing the commitment.

Naruto finally showed signs of being sleepy. He started building a nest and Sasuke helped him. It was good to be back in familiar fluffy-soft-Naruto territory. Once Naruto had settled in, Sasuke petted him and sang to him until he fell asleep.

He considered locking the door on his way out but then he imagined a baby Naruto in a locked box and merely slid it closed.

One of Sasuke's ideas was developing into a feasible plan. He found an official Uchiha tablet and prepared it. He then went to find Iruka and was lucky to find him alone in his office. Iruka was quick to realise it was something important, offered him a seat and sat opposite him.

"Naruto and I have been talking," Sasuke began. "We want to have children now. Otherwise Naruto may not see them grow up." He watched Iruka tense and saw tears well in his eyes. Sasuke was glad he had decided to speak with him separately.

"I am proud of you, Sasuke-kun," Iruka told him.

Sasuke felt guilty. He doubted that Iruka-sensei would be as proud if he realised that Sasuke had promised to have triplets without consulting him or that he was planning to trick Shikamaru into giving up control of his chromosomes.

"Iruka-sensei, do you know that Naruto's chromosomes cannot be combined with human chromosomes to make a healthy baby?" Sasuke asked.

Iruka gasped slightly. "No. Thinking about it, I can see that would be so. Oh Sasuke, I am so sorry."

"I have come to terms with it." Sasuke admitted, "and Naruto never expected to be able to have children of his own. He is happy to parent little Uchihas." Sasuke smiled. "You have taught me that being a parent is nothing to do with genetics. Your example has helped me understand what being a parent means. I will always be in your debt, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka coloured. "It is good of you to say so, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Naruto is asleep in our room. He will not be at the evening meal. I want to take this opportunity to tell our family about the children and why we are having them so soon. That will be easier without Naruto present." He paused to check that Iruka had accepted what he was saying before continuing. "Please could you ask Choza to set the table with a place at the head for me? I would appreciate it if Kakashi-sensei could sit on my right and you on my left."

Iruka bowed slightly. "I will see to it, Sasuke-sama."

Next on Sasuke's list was Kakashi. Again, he was lucky. It was close enough to the evening meal for Kakashi to be sitting in the shared area of their crew room. Sasuke sat beside him and then went directly to the point.

"Kakashi-san, I need you to support me this evening, even if your instincts are to query what I am doing. I have reasons for what I am going to do but I am unable to share them with you at this time."

Kakashi stiffened. "I am sworn to Uchiha and to you, Sasuke-sama," he confirmed.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," he whispered.

Sasuke took his place at the head of the table with Kakashi on his right and Iruka on his left. The others looked for Naruto as they took their seats. Sasuke waited until there was silence.

"Naruto will not be joining us this evening," he began. "He is asleep in our room. I wish to share some truths with you and that would be difficult in his presence.

"Naruto's lifespan is unlikely to be as long as a purebred human's. He may not be with us as long as we would wish."

Sasuke paused. They had all known, even Sumaru. He was relieved. It was much easier this way.

"So Naruto and I have decided to have our children soon, so he can see them grow to maturity. The first Uchihas of the next generation will be born in less than one standard's time. We both hope that you will help us raise them.

"This is good news, happy news, but it means that we have had to face up to another difficult truth.

"Naruto and I cannot make children together. His chromosomes will not work with Uchiha chromosomes to make little Uchihas." He paused. "We would like you, our family, to gift us your chromosomes to stand in the place of Naruto's."

Sasuke produced the official Uchiha tablet he had prepared. He placed his thumb in the depression, looked directly into the screen and said, "This is Sasuke Uchiha." He then handed the tablet to Kakashi.

This was the moment. He needed Kakashi to comply without query or hesitation. Only then would the others do likewise.

Kakashi held the tablet so the ball of his thumb was in the hollow. He looked into it so that the inbuilt scanner would scan the iris of his eye. Then he read the words that appeared on the screen.

"I, Kakashi, gift my chromosomes to the genetic bank so that they can be considered for and perhaps used in the conception of one or more Uchiha children who will be the legal offspring of Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto."

He then handed the tablet to Gai, who was sitting on his right, who followed without hesitation. Fu followed, then Terai and Hamaki.

Shino was the first who was not Old Uchiha. He had removed his lenses even before the tablet reached him. Sasuke could tell that he was happy to do it, pleased to support Naruto in any way that he could.

Then, five later, the tablet reached Neji. Sasuke saw him hesitate and their eyes met. He was not convinced as to Sasuke's motive. Sasuke's chin tilted up in defiance; he could not help it. Then, to his surprise, Neji nodded slightly and complied.

As for Shikamaru, the target, he merely spoke the words and handed the tablet to Haku.

Once Iruka had taken his turn, Sasuke stood and bowed. "We thank you," he said simply.

Sasuke had been pleased. He felt it had gone well. The conversation over the meal had been dominated by questions about the process, which Rin had been more than willing to answer. She had admitted that she could mix and match any combination of human chromosomes, provided they ended up with one pair of each of the twenty-three types. The look on Fu's face when he realised that he could parent a baby with Hamaki and Terai had been priceless.

So it was sobering that Shikamaru should be lying in wait for him. He had the shogi board and pieces set out on the small table at the quieter end of the shared area. Neji did not play shogi. Only Sasuke played shogi, albeit poorly. Sasuke's attempt to decline died on his lips as he took in Shikamaru's expression. He sat down. After a few minutes Shikamaru asked his question.

"Why wasn't Naruto there?" he asked. "There is no way he would not have wanted to be there for something so important."

"He is asleep," Sasuke insisted.

"I know he's asleep. You fucked him, so that was inevitable. Why didn't you wait until he could be there?" He took in Sasuke's reaction. "You did something you know he wouldn't approve."

Sasuke steeled himself, glad that he had been successful. Shikamaru would forgive him, eventually.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Why were you so keen to get us all to commit then and there? Without any opportunity for discussion?"

Sasuke could not see any advantage in delaying the inevitable. He looked Shikamaru directly in the eyes. "Today Naruto told me that he wanted one of the children to be mine and yours."

Shikamaru's eyes flashed. "You ba…" He managed to chop off the insult. He took a deep breath. "You tricked me."

Sasuke flinched. "I didn't. You are Naruto's choice to stand in his place. I asked you to gift your chromosomes for that purpose."

"It's more than the odd chromosome. I will be genetic parent to a child I can never claim. Your child. You should have asked me."

"You would have said no because of Neji."

Shikamaru did not deny it.

"Will you help me optimise the babies?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru stared at him before shaking his head in disbelief. Then he sighed. "Yes. You know I will. Temari is right; you have me wound around your little finger. I can't even stay cross with you. This is what Na-chan wants?"

"Yes," Sasuke assured him. "But he doesn't want to know which child is ours."

Shikamaru's gaze bore into him. "So I am tricked, trapped and silenced. Maybe I will manage to stay angry after all. With you. Not with Naruto."

Sasuke would have responded if he had not heard Naruto calling his name. He barely had time to look up before his lap was full of fluffy, affectionate and naked Naruto.

"You weren't there," Naruto accused. Then he turned to Shikamaru and smiled. "Shi-chan!"

Shikamaru smiled in return. "Greetings Na-chan. Are you here to take Sasuke to bed?" The smile took on a wolfish quality. He leaned forward. "Sasuke is feeling unloved."

Naruto was immediately more alert. "Unloved?"

"He fucked you but you didn't fuck him back," Shikamaru reminded him.

There was a growl in Naruto's throat. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Sasuke really, really wants you to fuck him, Naruto," Shikamaru told him. "Hard. Like he fucked you."

"Shik…" Sasuke complaint was cut off as he was slung across Naruto's shoulder. He did not fight it. It would be even more embarrassing to be seen fighting it. He shut his eyes. At least Naruto moved quickly.

But he did not close the door to their room. He was too intent on ripping the clothes from Sasuke's body.

Sasuke could see Shikamaru standing there, in the doorway, looking at him with a satisfied smirk. Shikamaru was going exact his revenge by watching him being fucked and, judging from Naruto's growling, it was going to be quite the show.

Knowing that Shikamaru had been in the room hundreds of times when he was being fucked did not help; the drapes made all the difference. This was humiliating.

Then, as Sasuke watched, Shikamaru's smirk transformed into a small, sad smile.

He slid the door closed.


	54. Siblings

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

******************This story includes male/male relationships.**

* * *

54. **Siblings**

* * *

Naruto was cross.

He was cross with himself because Sasuke was spending the morning in bed.

He was cross with Shikamaru because his words had tipped Naruto over the edge, causing Naruto to lose control and hurt Sasuke.

He was very cross with Sasuke because Sasuke had told everyone their plans without Naruto's permission or presence. Almost as bad, he had bullied everyone into handing over their chromosomes.

Secretly, Naruto was delighted that they were going to have a litter of three and relieved that they had access to Shi-chan's chromosomes. Them persuading Shikamaru and then Shikamaru persuading Neji would have taken far too long; Naruto was hoping to have the babies conceived within a few days. However, he was very determined to appear cross with Shikamaru and Sasuke.

Shikamaru stared at Naruto. "You want me to take a portable console into your room and work with Sasuke on optimising the babies?" he checked. "Na-chan, Sasuke doesn't want me there when he is receiving treatment."

Naruto scowled at him. "You both deserve it. You can look at him and remember that him being hurt is partly your fault. He can be embarrassed, which serves him right for being a teme. We don't lose a whole morning of baby making. Rin-san says she can start working on the first baby as soon as you give her the plans."

Naruto watched, arms folded, until Shikamaru went into their room carrying the console. He then went back to sit with Iruka-sensei in the galley.

"Triplets?" Iruka was still saying faintly, as he had at intervals since Naruto had made it clear how many babies they were having.

"A litter is best," Naruto repeated firmly. "This is a very small litter. It will be fine. We have three-quarters of a standard to prepare and train."

The last person Sasuke wanted to see was Shikamaru but Naruto had made it clear he was not being offered any choice.

It had been a difficult night. Being fucked, combined with the relief of Shikamaru shutting the door, had given Sasuke an utterly mind-blowing orgasm. This was good because he passed out, which reduced the time he was conscious and waiting for Naruto's knot to go down. It was bad because developing a liking for rough sex would be dangerous, particularly when you had Naruto as a lover. Once he could get to the head and use the e-machine the worst should have been over; the pain had been under control and the e-machine was doing what it thought best.

Unfortunately, part of what it had thought best was alerting Rin.

Sasuke could see the logic of having the e-machines linked to the diagnostic systems but he had not needed Rin to turn up at their door in the middle of the night. She had woken Naruto, who had been distraught at the thought that he had hurt Sasuke so badly. Of course Sasuke was not hurt so badly, which Rin had grudgingly admitted after Sasuke had thrown the Uchiha version of a hissy fit. Once she had apologised for not checking the detail of the alert before responding, Sasuke had accepted additional treatment.

Then Sasuke had told Naruto what he had done at the evening meal. Naruto had been cross since. Having Shikamaru turn up was part of Sasuke's punishment.

Shikamaru had rarely felt so guilty. He started to apologise only to be cut off by an Uchiha death look. Sasuke insisted they begin working immediately.

"I want the girl to be a clone of my mother," he said. They called up Mikoto's profile. Sasuke sent it to Rin with a few additional notes.

The first boy was almost as easy. They decided the gender, set the degree of Uchiha-ness, told the computer whose chromosomes were available and pressed go.

They moved onto the much more delicate issue of the third. Shikamaru set the gender, the Uchiha-ness and the identity of the two genetic parents. Then he looked at Sasuke.

"We could just let that run," he suggested.

"What is known about the genetic basis of type seven genius?" Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru flinched. He had known that Sasuke would be unable to resist. "Even cloning a type seven genius does not give you a type seven," he answered.

Sasuke nodded. "Set it running," he decided. "We are finished until the profiles start coming back. Any chance of you facing Naruto in the galley to get us some tea?"

"You are taking time out for a break?" Naruto queried as soon as Shikamaru arrived.

"We've sent the girl's profile to Rin and we are waiting for possibilities to be generated for the boys," Shikamaru told him, putting the kettle to boil.

"But Naruto has not seen the girl's profile," Iruka objected.

"I will not be involved in the choosing," Naruto informed him. "I will not choose one child above another. How long will it take to have profiles for Sasuke to choose from?"

"The first ones will be generated soon," Shikamaru admitted.

Naruto pushed the tea tray towards him.

Shikamaru took the hint.

Sasuke had used the break to explore the software.

"I like the interface," he admitted.

"Good," Shikamaru replied; perfecting the interface had taken him much of the night.

"Showing the closest genetic relatives is a nice touch," Sasuke acknowledged. He loaded the profile that they had already sent Rin. At the top right of the display appeared an image of Mikoto with a bar showing 100% genetic similarity. Underneath that was a picture of Sasuke at 83%.

The rest of the display showed the detailed profile. It was a mixture of greens, showing that no characteristic fell short of the Uchiha standard. Most of the profile was dark green, suggesting that it was close to optimum.

"Do you want to see what she may look like?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," Sasuke said quickly. "Naruto and I have decided not to do that."

The possibilities for the first boy began arriving. Sasuke loaded one. Again, the profile was completely green, although there was less dark green than for the girl.

Sasuke's eyes were fixed top right. There was an image of Itachi and the bar was at 71%. Below that was an image of Fugaku.

"I set it to only show only the two most similar Uchihas," Shikamaru explained, deciding that keeping going was the best option. "And it only shows individuals who are contributing 5% or more. This profile has chromosomes from many different crew members but not enough from any one person for them to make the right hand column."

"Show me an image of this male at fourteen standards," Sasuke demanded.

"You said…"

"Do it, Shikamaru," Sasuke ordered.

An image of a youth, obviously an Uchiha, appeared. Sasuke shuddered. "Discard the profile," he decided. He took a deep breath. "It is not surprising. Itachi was designed using software like this."

"We could reset the parameters with you as full genetic parent," Shikamaru suggested.

Sasuke nodded. To their surprise, one of the profiles survived the change. Sasuke loaded it. The order of images on the left was Sasuke, Itachi and Kakashi; the genetic similarity to Kakashi was 18%. The left hand of the display was pleasantly green with a goodly scatter of darker sections.

Sasuke smiled and sent the profile to Rin.

There were eleven profiles for the third child waiting. Shikamaru studied the pattern on the bedcover. He did not want to look. He did not want to discuss the son he could never acknowledge. He did not want to see how little dark green there was when there were only his chromosomes to put with Sasuke's.

"You go," Sasuke said quietly. "You've already done far more than I could ever expect. Tell Naruto that Rin will have all three profiles by the midday meal."

Three days later Naruto's litter of three was officially conceived.

Later the same day they jumped into a gated system to rendezvous with the Sunagakure.

Shipwide alarms sounded immediately. Naruto was halfway to the Sakura before he registered that it was muster rather than battle stations. He changed direction and headed for the crew room.

"It's an Uchiha distress call," Ibiki told him as soon as he entered.

Naruto frowned. How could it be an Uchiha distress call when they knew the Sakura and the Oak were safe? His mind went to their allies. "The Beech, the Birch or the Estelle?" he asked.

Asuma shook his head. "Old Uchiha. Inner core Old Uchiha."

Shino frowned. "There is no distressed ship here. This gate does not have a communication relay. Did it jump away? Or is it a trick?"

"There is an old Uchiha method of spreading a message," Shikamaru told them. "The ship releases hundreds of tiny drones that attach to ships and jump with them. If it is one of those the history of the drone will be buried in the message."

Sasuke stared at him. "You should not know that," he accused.

Shikamaru shrugged. He was already disassembling the message for analysis.

"Perhaps it is a very old message," Kakashi suggested.

Only it was not. It was recent; the drone had only been dispatched twelve days before.

"We respond," Sasuke told them. "We are obliged." He considered. "We allow the Sunagakure ships to dock and proceed with our talks. During that time we travel towards the origin of the distress call. Shikamaru, calculate the fastest route to where the drone was dispatched. Asuma, invite the two Sunagakure ships to dock."

One ship carried Temari's brother Kankuro and his men. On the other was only Gaara.

Temari had been evasive yet precise. The Sunagakure would stay on their own ships between meetings, which had to be held on successive days. There would be no social functions. No food or drink could be offered or consumed. The length of their docking would be determined by the outcomes of the meetings.

Kankuro and his men were garbed as warriors, their faces elaborately painted. Temari carefully mediated between one side's customs and the other's. As Kankuro was one of a crew of five, Sasuke could only bring four with him. He had chosen Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji and Kakashi. The ten men and Temari walked to the second docking bay where Gai was waiting. Neji had emphasised that the numbers must remain equal; allowing yourself to be outnumbered was a sign of tactical vulnerability.

Gaara looked odd, but no stranger than his brother. He had very pale skin, dark red hair, no eyebrows and turquoise eyes outlined in black. He was a little shorter than Sasuke and considerably slighter. He was very still and did not speak.

Sasuke realised that his siblings and the Sunagakure warriors were terrified of him.

The first meeting was brief. Shikamaru presented his summary of the current situation and then the Sunagakure went back to their ships. Uchiha fell back to their most secure position, the galley between the two crew rooms.

"Are we certain Gaara is a hybrid?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto nodded. "He is a canine-human hybrid, like me. I can tell by his scent. Not fox. Another species."

"His countrymen, brother and sister are so frightened of him that he spaces alone," Neji observed, confirming Sasuke's instincts. "I recommend that we give him a wide berth."

Sasuke caught the stubborn look on Naruto's face and sighed.

The second meeting was about the possibilities of a future alliance. It was as short as the first, if a little less one-sided. As it was closing, Naruto moved and stood in front of the seated Gaara. Sasuke wished he had been more successful in extracting a promise from Naruto about staying away from the other hybrid.

"I would like a one-to-one meeting with you, Gaara-san," Naruto stated.

"For what purpose?" Gaara asked. His voice was soft but monotonous. It sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine.

"Equipment has been adapted for me: dia-docs, stimulators, weapons. You may have adapted other equipment in other ways. We could discuss sharing," Naruto suggested.

Gaara was still. Naruto waited.

"Yes. Here. Now. Temari stays," Gaara answered, finally.

Naruto frowned. "Why Temari?" he asked.

"She is my sister," Gaara answered. "She reminds me to behave appropriately."

Sasuke did not like the sound of that.

"I do not have a sister," Naruto replied. "I will ask Sasuke to stay. He is my lover. He makes me happy."

For the first time Sasuke spotted a trace of emotion in Gaara. There was the slightest suggestion of confusion in his eyes.

It was odd. Naruto chatted. Gaara appeared to listen. At regular intervals Naruto would pause. During most of the pauses Gaara said nothing. Sometimes he made a comment. Temari was silent but not unhappy. Sasuke was content to observe. When Naruto finally stopped there was a longer silence that Gaara broke.

"I have nothing with which to negotiate," he stated. "I have no system as well adapted as any of those you have described."

Naruto looked pleadingly at Sasuke.

"We could adapt your systems, Gaara-san," Sasuke suggested. "We would be pleased to, should you choose to permit us."

Gaara turned slowly towards him and fixed him with his gaze. "Why make this offer?"

"Naruto wishes me to make it," Sasuke replied. "He feels a connection to you as a fellow canine-human hybrid."

Gaara's gaze did not move away. "You have affection for him," he stated.

Sasuke did not hesitate. "I love him. Without reservation. He is the light of my life."

Gaara looked at his sister. "Is this what Kankuro calls 'mushy sentimentality'?" he asked.

Sasuke bridled.

Temari smiled slightly. "Kankuro would describe it that way," she admitted. "However, 'mushy sentimentality' implies insincerity and this is genuine."

Gaara considered and then turned to Sasuke. "I will consider your offer."

On the third day Kankuro announced that they would accept Uchiha's offer to remove the slavers. In return, the Sunagakure promised a long-term alliance with Kaze, a constant stream of intelligence and phased payment. Kankuro did not sound happy. Temari looked smug. Gaara said nothing. Kankuro had worked out when and where their next rendezvous could be. At that meeting, which proved to be in almost a div's time, Shikamaru would present the Uchiha solution to their problem.

After the meeting had been formally closed, Gaara moved to stand in front of Sasuke.

"I accept your offer," he stated. "You may adapt the systems in my ship. Temari has persuaded her crew to stay until I leave. She will remind me to behave appropriately throughout my stay."

Sasuke had not envisioned this outcome when he had made the offer. However, the offer had been made. "It will be an honour, Gaara-san," Sasuke replied, choosing to see Naruto's smile and not the others' reactions.

"I will be hibernating for the next five days," Gaara continued. "It will not be safe for anyone to approach my ship during this time. In six days time you will begin adapting the systems."

A six day reprieve sounded good to Sasuke. That would give them time to investigate the distress call and for Shikamaru to become accustomed to the idea of working with Gaara.

Their route had brought them to a gated system; Kankuro's ship undocked and headed towards the gate. The Oak set course for an ungated and unstable hole that offered them a short cut towards the origin of the distress call. It would be three days before they would arrive.

The three days were spent working on the plan to rescue Kaze from the slavers and arguing about the babies.

Naruto was determined that the babies should be gestated in the crew room. Rin was equally certain that the foetuses should stay in the infirmary. Naruto argued that the babies were not sick and therefore they did not have to be in the infirmary. Rin insisted that the whole process was unnatural and required close and continuous monitoring. Naruto tried not be annoyed by terms like 'foetuses' and 'unnatural' and pointed out, reasonably, that electronic monitoring would be as effective in the crew room as in the infirmary. Rin began telling horror stories of foetuses needing timely medical interventions. Naruto's usually golden skin went sallow. Sasuke ordered Rin to shut up. Rin thought she had won.

The others steeled themselves for another round once Naruto had recovered.

Naruto, being Naruto, did the unexpected. He researched. He accumulated statistics. He performed a risk assessment for each of the ten most likely medical emergencies. He collected scientific studies on the importance of stimulation and bonding before birth. He even checked the specification for the gestators Rin had purchased and confirmed that they were designed to be used in a range of different environments.

Rin was reluctantly impressed.

Naruto started working on the nursery. He was removing a panel from the wall between their room and the adjacent, unoccupied room when they jumped into the system from which the distress call originated. He was lifting the door into place by the time Sasuke appeared. Sasuke's lack of reaction to seeing their room disassembled told Naruto something was amiss.

"There was a coded message requesting a secure and private conversation," Sasuke told him. "I agreed. It is Kisame-san."

Naruto made sure that the new door panel was supported and gave Sasuke his full attention.

"He wants to dock his ship to meet with to me," Sasuke told him.

Naruto considered. "Is Itachi with him?" he asked.

"He would not say," Sasuke admitted.

Naruto studied his lover. "You agreed," he observed.

"It is Kisame-san," Sasuke replied.

"I cannot beat Kisame if Itachi challenges you," Naruto reminded him. He thought of the babies. Sasuke would love them; Naruto trusted him. "By when do you need me to be ready?"

"Fifty minutes," Sasuke told him. "I have not told the others it is Kisame. Please do not do so."

Naruto stood at Sasuke's side, resplendent in his tags, waiting for the one person he knew, without doubt, could kill him in combat. He refused to think about the choice Sasuke had made. Behind them were Kakashi, Asuma and Neji. All three were unhappy because Sasuke still had not told them the identity of the visitor.

The outer door of the tiny ship's airlock opened.

Kisame was carrying Itachi in his arms.

"Please, Sasu-chan," Kisame begged. "Please Sasuke-sama."

* * *

Author's note

_Sasuke is 83% genetically identical to Mikoto (and therefore to the girl baby) because the Uchihas are so inbred – his father and mother were already very closely related._

_I did some research on the tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog, which is the animal behind Gaara's demon, Shukaku. I discovered it hibernates. Result! My Gaara can compensate for the fact he does not sleep (as the original character does not sleep) by hibernating. It also can be his 'other' hybrid characteristic, like my Naruto is berserk and my Kisame plays dead when he is badly hurt._


	55. Kisame

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Thank you for the reviews, both those from long-standing and those from new readers. They are very much appreciated.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent._

**Warning: this story includes male/male relationships**

******Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by ********oo*****oo**

* * *

**55. Kisame**

* * *

Sasuke ignored Asuma's shock, Naruto's relief, Kakashi's resignation and Neji's confusion. He hoped that Itachi was as close to death as he looked. The only advantage of having Itachi alive was that Kisame had not killed himself.

The seed of a plan began germinating. "You are welcome, Kisame-san. Neji-san, please will you go ahead and inform Rin-san to expect a patient."

"Sasuke-sama!" Asuma objected.

Sasuke turned haughty eyes on him. "Kisame-san has always behaved most honourably. He is true to his oath. For a Companion, the choices are those of another."

"What of the garbage he brings with him?" Asuma demanded.

Kisame showed his teeth and Naruto stiffened.

Kakashi laid a hand on Asuma's arm. "None of us are going to attack an unconscious man," he observed.

Not everyone, however, felt the same way. They were close to the infirmary and at a corner when Haku leapt from cover, striking at Itachi with a knife in either hand. Kisame managed to twist enough to parry the blows with his body. Haku twisted the blades from Kisame's flesh and began another attack only to be caught about the waist by Naruto and pulled away. Haku squealed his displeasure and flailed with his blades, so that Naruto had no choice but to propel him up the corridor away from all possible targets. Haku managed to stay on his feet, turn and charged towards Itachi, screaming his hatred.

Sasuke calmly stepped in front of Itachi and Kisame. Naruto, whose plan had involved an arm sweeping through the space Sasuke now occupied, aborted the move, swiped at Haku and missed. The knives, followed by Haku, were plunging towards Sasuke's chest.

Haku, but not the knives, thudded home. The knives clattered to the floor. Sasuke staggered but remained upright. He wrapped his arms about Haku and held him.

Haku beat at Sasuke's body with his fists. "Kill him!" he yelled. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him for what he did to you even if you can't kill him for what he did to me. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

Sasuke's eyes warned Naruto away. The blows became weaker, the protestations of hatred less vehement. A sob racked Haku's body, then another. Sasuke held him close. Haku leaned against his chest, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Once Itachi was stable and Kisame's wounds treated, Sasuke called muster in the crew room.

"Where are they?" demanded Jiraiya.

"In the infirmary," Sasuke informed him. "Itachi is tanked. Kisame-san can be trusted." He took a deep breath. "I know that Itachi deserves to die. I hate him. If it were not for Kisame-san I would kill him without a moment's hesitation. The truth is that Kisame-san will kill himself when Itachi dies. While Itachi is alive, however tenuous that life is, Kisame-san will continue to live." He turned to Rin, "Rin-san?"

"The bastard was almost gone," she confirmed. "His liver had stopped functioning. There is major damage to his brain and his heart. None of his systems are unaffected. To bring him back I would have to regenerate his entire liver and mend the other organs. Even then, the damage to his brain may mean he is non-functional when he regains consciousness."

"What caused it?" asked Kakashi.

"I do not care what caused it," Sasuke replied. "It is convenient. The damage to the nervous system means that his only hope, and it is a small one, is to regenerate parts of his brain. He has to stay deeply unconscious, tanked, for at least a standard. We have him helpless and where we can find him, rather than out there as a potential danger. It also means that we have a standard to persuade Kisame-san that he can live without Itachi."

"You are very sure of Kisame," Dan observed.

"I am," Sasuke assured them. "Kisame-san hid me from Itachi during the massacre and he threw the fight with Naruto when Itachi's crew challenged for me. He went against Itachi's wishes twice, for me."

Haku, still abnormally pale, tilted his chin up. "I think that Kisame-san deserves this chance. I spaced with them. Kisame-san is a good and kind person whose life has been mutilated by a monster." His voice shook. "I agree that Itachi should live, for now, for Kisame-san's sake. If I, whom he slashed and gutted and left for dead, can say this, if I, who loathe him most, can say this, then surely you can find it in your hearts to agree."

Asuma was the first to respond. "Itachi is as good as dead and we're keeping his body alive for Kisame's sake. I can live with that."

"We are agreed then?" Kakashi checked. "I think this is an issue on which we should all speak. I shall begin. I, Kakashi, agree that Itachi should be allowed to continue living, tanked and unconscious, for at least one standard and that Kisame-san should join our crew, our family."

The others followed, one by one, with differing degrees of certainty but no dissension.

Haku accompanied Sasuke, Naruto and Rin back to the infirmary. Kisame was sitting beside the tank that contained Itachi, head bowed.

"Kisame-san?" Sasuke said gently.

The sharkman looked up.

"Rin-san will treat Itachi." Sasuke told him. "She tells me that his only chance is for his nervous system to be regenerated, which will be a long, slow process. He will need to remain tanked. We have talked and we wish you to join us while Itachi is receiving treatment."

"I apologise for my behaviour earlier and for hurting you," Haku added. "I am here to ask you to take your place in my crew room."

Kisame smiled very slightly. "You are queen, Haku-kun?" he asked.

Haku blushed slightly. "Only of that crew room, Kisame-san. Iruka-sensei is, of course, queen of the whole crew."

"Each one of us agreed, Kisame-san," Naruto told him.

Kisame had sent the distress call in desperation not expectation. Rin was the best medico Kisame knew. He had done it because he loved Itachi but he had already been resigned. Itachi would die, Kisame would allow the air to bleed away. They would be entombed together forever. It was fitting.

Now Itachi was safe. Kisame looked at them: Rin who reminded him of a time before all hope was lost, Sasuke who was everything Mikoto-san had so wanted, Haku-kun and the fox-boy who had matured into the most magnificent of Companions. They were offering him a place with them. He yearned to take it, even if it were only for a little time; he said yes.

Haku-kun's crew room was lovely. Kisame was shown a cosy room rather than a bunk. It had its own head and shower. Haku promised to return with some fresh clothes.

Kisame spent a long time in the shower. When he emerged the closet was populated with clothes and the bed had been made. The bedcover was in shades of blue. He dressed.

There was a gentle knock on his door. It was Haku warning him that the evening meal was in forty minutes. Kisame waited a little time and then cautiously slid the door open. The main part of the crew room contained various couches and chairs. Haku was reclining on one of the couches. He looked different; beautiful and Kisame felt himself respond. That had not happened in a long, long time.

Kisame had always wished he were asexual; it would make his life easier. When Uchiha had sent him to cat they had assigned another, normal, boy to cat with him and the crew had been relieved. When he had returned to Tarrasade to receive his implant he, like the others, had begun paying women to see to his needs. He was generous and undemanding. The whores who had known him had liked him. When he went back to spacing, Kisame did not force himself on the cat; the lad was too scared of him. In port, he would find an older, experienced whore. In space, he made do.

Then he had fallen for Itachi.

Itachi did not want a physical relationship with Kisame but that did not prevent him being possessive and jealous. Kisame had given up the whores. He continued to make do, in secret, in the shower. He gave Itachi the illusion he wanted; that Kisame, as part shark, was asexual.

Haku had been different. Despite his devotion to Zabuza, Haku had been happy to cat for the rest of the crew. No one who knew him doubted that fucking was, along with dressing up, one of Haku's favourite activities. Haku flirted with everyone and Kisame was no exception.

Needless to say, this had not increased Itachi's fondness for Haku. Kisame had watched them with horrified fascination. There was a limit to how badly Itachi could treat Haku before Zabuza would intervene or, worse, lose his temper. Also, Itachi was utterly addicted to Haku's ability to play Sasuke. Haku refused to leave Kisame alone. At first Kisame had thought it was merely about Haku wishing to annoy Itachi but he had come to realise that Haku cared for him and hated the way Itachi treated him. Haku was like that.

There had been no locks on the showers on the Morning Mist. Haku would lie in wait and attack when Kisame's resistance was at its weakest. Itachi had caught them on the third occasion. It would not have been so bad if Haku had not started telling Itachi, in detail, about the previous two encounters. There had been considerable blood but no deaths; Zabuza had protected Haku and Kisame had, in desperation, disarmed Itachi. The fallout had been painful and protracted.

Now Haku was this beautiful creature with those same caring eyes. It was no surprise that Kisame' was responding.

"Kisame-san," Haku called, uncurling his legs, sitting up and patting the couch beside him.

Kisame sat on the couch, careful to keep some distance between them.

Haku looked at him and then dropped his gaze, displaying his eyelashes. "I apologise again for hurting you, Kisame-san." The eyelashes lifted and soft brown eyes made contact. "I have decided that my dislike for Itachi comes second to my wish for you to be happy. I have given up my desire to kill Itachi. For you."

Kisame could see the faint scar on Haku's throat. It followed the precise angle of Itachi's signature slash. He remembered Haku's frenzied attack earlier in the day. For Haku to give up his revenge was a considerable gift.

"You are generous, Haku-san," he acknowledged.

Haku laughed. It was a soft, silvery sound. "When did I stop being Haku-kun to you?" he asked.

Kisame smiled slyly, "Perhaps it should be Haku-sama. After all, you are queen."

Haku leaned across and hit him on the arm. "Iruka-sensei is queen and Sasuke is sama."

Kisame rubbed the spot on his upper arm, pantomiming pain. "Haku-hime," he suggested.

"Kisame! Be good," Haku scolded.

"Yes, princess," Kisame replied. "Who else lives here?" he asked quickly, to distract Haku from hitting him again. "There are many rooms."

"This is the elite fighters' crew room," Haku explained. "Plus me to look after you all. Kakashi, Naruto and Asuma have rooms here that they rarely use because they live with their lovers. Kakashi is with Iruka-sensei and Naruto with Sasuke. Asuma's partner and children have a separate apartment."

"Asuma has children?" Kisame queried but his thoughts were with Kakashi. He struggled to imagine Kakashi with anyone other than Obito. There again, he knew that Fugaku-kyou had trapped Kakashi into living by making him responsible for Sasuke. If Kakashi had to live, it was good that he should have someone to warm his bunk.

"Asuma and Kurenai have two boys and a girl," Haku confirmed. "So living here we have Gai, Inoichi, Tatsuji, Kunugi, Dan, Hamaki, Terai, Fu and Choza, although Choza has retired and is now Cook."

Kisame could imagine Choza as Cook.

The evening meal was educational. Kisame swiftly realised that Iruka was no bunkwarmer. Everything about him, from his demeanour to the way the others deferred to him, announced that this was the person who held this peculiar group of people together and melded them into a family. Kisame was not surprised to see a Uchiha duty ring on his finger. The ring on his heart finger, like the corresponding one on Kakashi's, was more disconcerting but Kisame was willing to acknowledge that this man was worthy of Kakashi's love, however surprised he was that Kakashi could give it.

And Kakashi was whole. Kisame had expected never to see that again.

The other elite fighters were themselves, but their best selves.

Jiraiya and Rin were older, and possibly wiser, versions of the people he remembered.

Sasuke was Mikoto-san with flashes of Itachi at his best and a suggestion of Fugaku-kyou's steel. It made Kisame strangely content to watch him.

Kisame listened to the conversation but did not contribute. He was interested that there was yet another hybrid on the ship: a new ally. Apparently Uchiha had committed to removing slavers from the hybrid's home system. The ordinary-looking young man with the duty ring, Shikamaru, was tasked with coming up with a plan and none of the crew doubted that he would do so. Kisame deduced that he was Kakashi's type seven genius. A type seven genius and a Hyuga sworn to Uchiha: Kakashi had certainly provided Sasuke with the tools he would need to lead.

The other topic of the moment was babies. It would appear that Sasuke was not making Fugaku-kyou's error of trying to raise one, perfect heir. Naruto was clear that they would raise ten babies and Sasuke did not contradict him. The first three were already conceived. Naruto was building a nursery. It was odd to see a fighter like Naruto so focused on caring for babies. Kisame wondered if it was part of his foxy nature. Certainly sharks had no tendencies in that direction.

Throughout the meal there was Haku, sitting next to him, playing footsie. Kisame knew he could not withstand Haku's assault. Haku was unrelenting and, given that he had been able to trip Kisame when Itachi was close by and vigilant, there would be no stopping him with Itachi tanked. It was inevitable and, if so, there was little point resisting. It was a nice thought.

After the meal, Sasuke played the biwa. Kisame wished he could appreciate music. Haku obviously derived great enjoyment from it, so Kisame settled for watching Haku.

******oo*****oo**

For Kisame, it was a rare and precious moment of bliss.


	56. Cure

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**Warning. This chapter contains reference to torture and abuse. It does not contain any description of such torture or abuse.**

* * *

56. Cure

* * *

Haku woke early. He hummed to himself in contented satisfaction. Kisame had been showered, pampered and tucked into bed; Haku felt that it had been an excellent start to his campaign to persuade Kisame that life without Itachi was worth living. As added frisson, Haku knew that Itachi would be apoplectic with rage if he knew. A small part of him hoped that Itachi would regain consciousness so that Haku could tell him. The rest continued to want Itachi very dead.

He dressed in one of his favourite kimonos, pinned up his hair and joined Iruka-sensei and Kono-kun in the galley. He kissed Konohamaru on the lips, apologising for not finding much time to spend with him recently.

Konohamaru kissed back and smiled. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Haku knew that Konohamaru was referring to his homicidal frenzy. "I have had better afternoons," he admitted. "I am fine now. I shall endeavour to extract my revenge by saving Kisame-san. It is a more elegant solution."

"You sit down," Iruka told him. "I shall make you breakfast."

Haku slipped into a seat, "Thank you, Iruka-sensei," he acknowledged. There were people for whom Iruka made breakfast and there were people expected to make their own. Haku was in the second category. He wondered if the gesture was inspired by sympathy or approval.

"Do you have a busy day, Haku-san?"

So it was approval; Iruka only ever called him Haku-san in praise. "I have my usual duties," Haku replied. "I also have a session with Neji and Rin this morning. I have arranged with Kunugi to tidy his room after lunch." He paused and Iruka nodded; the request was Kunugi's way of asking for some more intimate attention. "I was hoping to find time to show Kisame-san about the ship," Haku continued, "but perhaps it would be better if someone else was his guide. Perhaps Sumaru-kun? Sumaru would have to speak and Kisame will be good with him."

Iruka nodded. "The idea has merit. Sumaru has been struggling lately. He finds Naruto's obsession with babies distressing."

They may have discussed it more but Sumaru chose that moment to walk into the galley. He made small polite bows of greeting and began his morning task of collecting the crockery to set the table.

"Leave that, Sumaru-kun," Iruka told him. "Come and sit down for a moment. Kono-kun will help you set the table once we have spoken."

Sumaru put down the dishes obediently, came to the table and sat down.

"Would you like to show Kisame-san around the ship this morning?" Iruka asked.

Sumaru perked up immediately. "With Kono-kun?" he asked.

"No, just you, Sumaru-kun," Iruka told him.

Sumaru complexion went red, then white, then pink as he balanced having to do all the talking against the honour of being the legendary warrior's guide. "Yes. Please. Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

As usual, the next to arrive was Neji. Astonishingly, Shikamaru was with him.

"I must still be dreaming," Haku announced. "Pinch me, Kono-kun."

Konohamaru obliged and Haku yipped.

Shikamaru scowled, sat and laid his cheek against the table. His eyes were shut.

"I said you should stay in bed," Neji told him.

"Want to eat breakfast with you," Shikamaru mumbled.

Haku realised that this was about Neji's hypnotherapy. They had a difficult session planned. The spectacle of Shikamaru trying to interact with early morning would be a welcome distraction for Neji.

"How did you ever manage to cat?" Haku asked.

Shikamaru moaned.

"Ibiki-san was very helpful," Iruka recalled. "He used to drag Shika-kun out of his bunk and shove him under a cold shower. It usually worked."

"Did I hear my name?" Ibiki asked from the crew room and then froze in the doorway. "I must still be sleeping. Only in a dream would Shikamaru be up so early." He turned and called over his shoulder. "Rin-san, you have to see this. Bring Shino-san."

"Very funny," Shikamaru complained.

Naruto was next. He had one look and went to tell Sasuke. When he returned he sat next to Shikamaru and sniffed him.

"Smells like Shi-chan," he admitted.

Shikamaru opened one eye. "Not you too," he accused.

Shikamaru's ploy had worked; Neji was much less tense than Haku had anticipated. They talked about everything and nothing as Rin ran the familiar pre-session checks. Every so often Neji's lips would quirk into a tiny smile and Haku knew he was thinking of Shikamaru.

The hypnosis sequence began. Neji had become better at relaxing and letting go. Haku checked that the recorder was running. Rin's voice in his earpiece confirmed that Neji was under. Haku played extracts from previous sessions to spark Neji's memory. Neji responded and the tone of his voice, slightly higher and with a puzzled innocence, confirmed that they had hit the mark.

In his mind Neji was fourteen. He was implementing his plan to find a suitable crew with whom he could space. He had gone to the right place. He had picked out a Traditional crew. They had liked him. Neji had been confident all would be well.

They had not even got Neji back to their ship; the other crew had challenged and claimed the virgin cat as their prize.

Haku had come to understood some of the burden of being Hyuga. Neji continually analysed the behaviour of those around him, so he always had some idea of what was going to happen. He experienced everything twice, first the anticipation and then the event. This meant he suffered any trauma twice, once in his imagination and once for real.

That day the worst a naïve youth of fourteen could imagine had repeatedly fallen far short of the reality.

The crew's hobby had been playing Snuff.

Haku was familiar with the horror stories, all spacers were. It was different to meet a victim of Snuffers. There were few survivors and the majority of those lost the will to live.

Even Snuff had rules. It had to be a cat and the cat had to be won from another crew. There was a detailed and extensive menu of ways to abuse the victim. Each was worth points. Sexual acts scored more highly than pure torture. The more extreme the act, the more points it was worth. Points for that act were halved if the victim fell unconscious and lost if the cat died. Off-menu acts, for example mutilation, voided the game. Crews recorded each game and submitted it for independent evaluation. Holos of high scoring games sold for large amounts of credit.

If the cat lasted three hundred minutes he won the right to live.

Haku briefly clung to the hope that Neji had survived because the crew were inexperienced players, or had been interrupted, or any explanation other than managing to live through three hundred minutes in the hands of skilled Snuffers.

They had been experts.

Haku was pulled away from the horror by Rin's voice in his ear ordering him to terminate the session because the telemetry was so worrying. Haku forced himself not to rush. He carefully implemented the procedures that would distance Neji from the memories. Usually the session ended with Neji waking and them talking through the session. This time all the indicators were amber or red. Neji would need to sleep, possibly until the following morning.

Rin came to help as soon as Neji was unconscious. She had one look at Haku and began checking his pulse.

"That bad?" she queried.

Haku managed a nod.

"Should I know?" she asked. "Or do you need to tell someone?" She gauged his reaction. "You can trust me, Haku. I understand confidentiality."

Haku had to tell someone. He was not going to be telling Shikamaru. "Snuffers," he admitted and watched all the colour drain from Rin's face.

* * *

Shikamaru knew that Haku would come to speak to him after Neji's session. That was the agreed pattern. Neji had hypnotherapy, Neji and Haku talked, Neji napped under Rin's supervision and Haku talked to Shikamaru.

Haku was slightly early. He looked dreadful. He had changed out of the pretty kimono he had been wearing earlier. His eyes had a haunted look and his smile was forced. Shikamaru prepared himself for very bad news.

"It was a difficult session," Haku admitted. "Rin decided that Neji needed to sleep directly after the hypnotherapy. Neji and I didn't talk, so I have not checked what I should tell you. I am sorry, Shikamaru-san, but you will have to wait."

Haku's relief when Shikamaru accepted his explanation was also worrying.

Shikamaru had hacked into the hypnotherapy records almost before consciously making the decision.

Snuffers.

Snuffers explained everything.

Snuffers made every gesture of love Neji had made to him a thousand times more precious. Shikamaru now truly understood how difficult it was for Neji to accept a touch without flinching. He thought about every time Neji had allowed him to hold his hand, or wash his hair, or kiss him gently on the lips, or to cuddle close to him when they slept.

His memory played back what Neji had said to him in the laboratory, the day when they had agreed to be lovers, "It won't be smooth, Shikamaru-san. I have had some bad experiences. It is hard for me to let someone touch me."

Shikamaru wept at the sheer magnitude of the understatement.

Neji was going through hypnotherapy for him. He was reliving that horror for him. Neji loved him that much.

He washed his face, checked what he looked like and went to find Sasuke. He was alone in his office.

"I need a ring to offer Neji," he announced without greeting, preamble or introduction.

Sasuke blinked at him in surprise. He pulled himself together. "Do you know what size?" he asked.

Shikamaru did. He had checked. Sasuke fetched the box and picked out all the rings without crests that should fit. There was one with a pattern in diamonds and some lilac gemstone. It reminded Shikamaru of Neji's eyes. He picked it up and ran his thumb over the smooth surface; the stones were pavé set. Shikamaru thought Neji might like it.

"This one," he told Sasuke. "I'll return it if he refuses it."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, you keep it in case he changes his mind," he insisted.

Then Shikamaru went back to the laboratory. Shino was elsewhere, which was convenient. He checked the cabinet that contained his data crystal array. The crystals were his, not Uchiha's. He had bought them gradually over the standards. They were populated by data downloaded from the data streams. His share from the Silver Leaf, some carefully judged speculation and their time on Tarrasade had allowed him to double the size of the array. Every time they were at a gate with a communication relay, Shikamaru hacked in, searched for new information and updated the array.

Next he connected to his console and constructed an enquiry about Snuffers. He included some of the information he had gleaned from the hypnotherapy records. Once he was satisfied, he began running it through the array.

Shikamaru had decided to destroy the Snuffers. It would take time but he could be patient. He would drive Snuff holovideos underground; if the holos automatically corrupted as soon as they hit the data streams they could only be sold as tapes or crystals. He would publish the identity of Snuffer crews, with evidence. He believed he could rely on the more powerful Traditional crews to do what was necessary. If not, there were other ways.

It would be his gift to Neji; a secret from everyone, including Neji, but Shikamaru would know and that would be enough.

* * *

Sumaru had shown Kisame-san the Oak and the Sakura. He had shown him all the exciting parts, like the gyms and Naruto's gun turret, and the interesting parts, like the stimulators and the Control Room. He had even pointed out the boring parts, like the laboratories, engine rooms, offices, holds, docking bays and accommodation. It was not as difficult as he had thought, because Kisame-san would ask questions when he did not know what to say. Once Sumaru had run out of places to show him, they went back to the galley and Sumaru made tea, being careful to make it the way Iruka-sensei had taught him.

"Who were the ladies I saw, Sumaru-kun?" Kisame asked him.

Sumaru wondered if Kisame-san liked ladies. He obviously liked Haku and Haku was very feminine. "They crew on the Silver Leaf," Sumaru told him. "The Silver Leaf is our ally."

Kisame-san was looking at him. Sumaru had come to realise he did this when he was hoping for more information.

"Captain Tsunade is Jiraiya-san's lover." Sumaru tried and was rewarded by a twinkle in Kisame-san's eye. "Temari-san is one of the Sunagakure. We have agreed to help the Sunagakure rid their system of slavers. Her brother is the hybrid warrior hibernating in the ship I showed you." He stopped. That was the end of the interesting things about the Silver Leaf's crew. Kisame-san was still looking at him. "Their cat, Tayuya, is nasty," he added.

Kisame smiled. "And how did you come to be Sasuke-sama's ward, Sumaru-kun?"

"My mother is very ill. She asked him to take me," Sumaru told him.

Kisame put a hand on his shoulder, which was nice. "I am sorry to hear that your mother is ill, Sumaru-kun. Is there any chance of good news?"

Sumaru shook his head. "No. Rin-san continues to try. Rin-san never gives up." He looked Kisame in the face. "You know that. You brought Sasuke's brother here because of that."

"I know that," Kisame acknowledged. "So your mother is in the infirmary here?"

"Yes. I visit her every day." He was struck by a sudden thought. "There is time before the midday meal. I could visit my mother and you could visit Sasuke's brother."

"That would be nice, Sumaru-kun," Kisame agreed.

They walked together to the infirmary. Kisame shortened his step and Sumaru increased his pace; they had worked out that this was the most comfortable way for them to walk together.

"What are your plans, Sumaru-kun?" Kisame-san asked.

"I want to be the greatest Uchiha warrior ever," Sumaru told him. "Greater than Naruto-san." He flushed. "Greater than even you, Kisame-san." He considered. "If that is not possible, I want to be the greatest warrior I can be."

Kisame looked at him with approval. "That is a laudable ambition, Sumaru-kun. We should train together. Perhaps we could start tomorrow."

Sumaru thought his heart would burst. He could not think of words to express what he was feeling. "Thank you, Kisame-san," he squeaked.

Kisame liked Sumaru. He liked his straightforward, boy's attitude to life. He was surprised that such a small, slight, pretty thing wanted to be a fighter. He studied him more closely, noting his musculature, his balance and the way he moved. There were the signs that he trained when one looked for them.

Sumaru took him through the infirmary and into a small side room. As well as the tank, there were decorations and a chair with a small table beside it. Kisame imagined the boy spending time there. Sumaru introduced them and Kisame politely responded as if Natsuhi-san were conscious, which the boy seemed to like.

Itachi was in a similar small side room. Kisame had to go searching for a chair. He placed it so that it would be easy to see Itachi's face. He looked peaceful. Kisame shut his eye. Seeing Sasuke reminded Kisame of Itachi at that age. He had been so fine and proud and graceful.

Kisame knew that Itachi was as he was, tanked on the edge of death, because of him. No matter how unstable Itachi had become, Kisame had always been there for him: his anchor and his foundation. When Kisame had betrayed him, when he had chosen Sasuke over him, Itachi's brittle world had shattered. His obsessions had transformed into delusions; his self-destructive tendencies had become addictions. While before he had drunk a little too much, he had begun drinking heavily. He had started taking other drugs, not caring what they were or what they could do to him. He had stopped sleeping. Not even Itachi's genetically perfect body could cope with that degree of self-abuse. His nanobots had begun malfunctioning. His enhanced immunity had overreacted to infections, ravaging his organs.

And Kisame had let it happen, because when Itachi was drunk, or ill, or unconscious he did not kill people for no reason or force Kisame to kill them in order to protect him.

This was better. Itachi was safe. Others were safe from Itachi. There was the hope, however small, that Rin would cure him. In his heart of hearts, Kisame wished that Itachi could be truly cured; that he could be the man he would have been if he had been raised by Mikoto-san, or Iruka, or Sasuke and Naruto.

Kisame hoped, as he always had, for a miracle.


	57. Hybrids

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**

* * *

****57. Hybrids**

* * *

On the sixth day, when Gaara had awoken from hibernation, Naruto meet Temari in the bay where Gaara's ship, the Gourd, was docked.

"Where is Sasuke-san?" she had asked on her arrival.

Naruto had not mentioned Sasuke. "He is busy," Naruto admitted.

Temari frowned. "Perhaps Shikamaru?" she queried. "Gaara will not like it if you break the pattern. There are two of us so there must be two of you."

Shikamaru was occupied working on the plan to rid Kaze of the slavers and fussing over Neji. Naruto sighed. "Can't we both have a half share of you? He as your brother and me as your ally?"

Temari offered him an unconvincing smile. "That would be a clever solution, Naruto-san, but Gaara would see it as you stealing half of his sister. Stealing from Gaara is not wise."

Naruto was struck by a sudden idea. "Does it have to be my lover or my best friend?" he asked. "Will any crewmate be acceptable?"

Temari considered. "You have made it clear that your crew is more family than crew. I believe that any crew member would be acceptable."

Kisame was in the crew room. He had watched Sumaru's morning training, had breakfast and spent a ridiculous amount of time in the bath; he derived great pleasure from being in the water. He heard someone approaching at great speed and watched Naruto skid to a halt; it took him the length of the galley to do so. A perfectly timed jump brought him across the threshold into Haku's crew room.

"Kisame-san, are you busy?" he asked.

Gaara was beside Temari by the time they made it back to the docking bay. Temari's eyes widened as she saw whom Naruto had chosen. Even Gaara reacted, if a slight stiffening of his posture could be considered a reaction. Naruto performed a round of introductions and described his plan.

"Shikamaru says that the best place to start is my gun turret on the Sakura because it has built in diagnostic systems," he explained.

Naruto demonstrated his gun turret and suggested that Gaara try it. Gaara did not move. Temari said nothing.

"May I try, Naruto-san?" Kisame asked. "Is the chair large enough for me?"

Naruto nodded. "It adjusts. Ibiki can use it," He reached over and set the chair to maximum.

Five minutes later Kisame was in heaven. Chair, guns and simulations adapted no matter how fast he wanted to move. The turret was like an extension of his body. If this was an example of Shikamaru could do, Kisame was a convert. After another few minutes he reluctantly stopped.

"You should try it, Gaara-san," he said.

To Naruto's relief, Gaara decided to follow the sharkman's example. His approach was very different, slow and gradual, but after ten minutes he had built up to similar speeds as Kisame and Naruto. There was an intensity in his face that Naruto had not seen before. He looked at Temari, who was watching her brother with something akin to affection rather than the usual wariness. After about thirty minutes, Gaara slowed and stopped.

"I want one of these on my ship," he stated. "I must also be able to control the ship while I am in it."

"Shikamaru will work out how," Naruto promised. "It may take time to design what you need and build it," he warned.

Gaara considered. "I understand," he replied.

They moved onto the stand-alone simulators and investigated the limits of Kisame and Gaara's piloting skills. Naruto watched Gaara's eyes become brighter and brighter as he realised what it would be like if his one man ship could move and fight as suggested by the simulators.

"Gaara," Temari warned.

Some of the brightness died. It made Naruto sad to see it go.

"I must go back to my ship," Gaara stated, "before I behave inappropriately."

"We have group training this afternoon," Naruto told him. "Join us. The Silver Leaf's crew is joining us. Temari will be there."

Temari went absolutely rigid and Naruto wondered what he had said that was so wrong.

"That would be unwise," Gaara told him. "I do not fight except to kill."

There was silence. Naruto could not imagine not training. If he had never trained he would be only a fraction of the fighter he was now. "Could you watch?" he suggested.

"I have watched Temari and Kankuro train," Gaara admitted. "I will attend and watch you train. Temari, you will fetch me and escort me to this training."

* * *

Gaara walked back to his ship, accompanied as far as the docking bay by Temari.

Using the gun turret and the simulators had been involving. For a moment, Gaara had forgotten. He had lost focus. There had been texture. He could not afford texture. Texture was dangerous. Texture became unevenness. Unevenness became highs and lows. In the lows Gaara might lose himself. In the highs he would lose control.

He valued Temari's warning.

It was easier in his ship. On the ship it was silent. It was smooth and hard. It was colourless and dull. The scrubbers kept the air scent-free.

Naruto.

Naruto was a canine-human hybrid.

Naruto should be like him.

Naruto was nothing like him.

Naruto lived in the highs. Naruto did not lose control.

Gaara lowered the temperature; being colder made him sluggish. When he was sluggish it was easier not to think and it was easier not to feel.

* * *

"Gaara constantly worries about losing control," Kisame said when both Temari and Gaara were well beyond earshot.

Naruto considered. "Do you think he is a berserker like me? Or maybe he has a bad temper. I have that too."

Kisame smiled. "I find that difficult to imagine, Naruto-san," he admitted. "As a canine-human hybrid I would expect him to be more emotional, as you are. Perhaps he had learned to suppress his emotions. That is rarely advisable in an emotional individual."

Naruto thought of Sasuke and agreed. His stomach rumbled. "Food," he suggested.

Kisame grinned, showing pointed teeth. "Food," he agreed.

There were too early for the midday meal but Naruto managed to wheedle a large bowl of snacks out of Choza and invited Kisame into his crew room to share them. They chatted easily, soon coming around to the subject of Sumaru.

"Thank you for showing interest in Sumaru-kun. I have not spent enough time with him lately," Naruto confessed.

Kisame smiled. "Your babies," he observed.

Naruto felt himself colour. "Yes," he replied.

"Not genetically yours," Kisame checked. "Surely even Rin could not manage that."

"No. They are little Uchihas. I asked for two boys and a girl. I left it to Sasuke to make the other decisions." He smiled. "Perhaps they will all look like Sasuke."

Kisame wondered if they would look like Itachi.

"Do you want to see the nursery?" Naruto asked and then looked away in embarrassment. "Of course you do not. I am sorry."

Kisame leaned over and patted him on the knee. "It would be a honour to see the den you are building for your kits. Naruto-san," he assured him.

Instead of accessing the nursery from the crew room, as Kisame had expected, Naruto took them through the room he shared with Sasuke. This was a room that Kisame was interested in seeing. Except for the Uchiha crest on the wall, it was little different from the room Haku had assigned him; more lived in, and definitely more colourful, but the same size and shape. That Sasuke did not see any need for a more imposing room was, in itself, impressive.

The nursery was a cosy, warm, soft cave; very much the den Kisame had suggested. Angled drapes had divided the room and changed its shape. There were no vertical or horizontal surfaces; Kisame could not see a right angle. Away from the doors, against two of the walls, there was a large platform covered with a deep mattress. Kisame could see three oval depressions, presumably for the gestators, and a long, sinuous, Naruto-sized indentation.

"Rin wants them to stay in the infirmary until they are born," Naruto told him. "They do not belong in the infirmary. They belong here."

Kisame thought of Itachi in the sterile, soulless side room and agreed. "I am sure you will persuade her, Naruto-san."

Naruto's whiskers drooped. "She has them, I do not," he admitted.

Kisame decided that there was time to visit Itachi before the midday meal. He took with him the items he had collected from their ship, along with a small table and a chair that Haku had found for him. He was telling Itachi about Gaara when Rin put her head into the side room, obviously wondering to whom he was talking.

"I decided to follow Suma-kun's example," Kisame explained.

Rin's expression communicated her exasperation although she was too prudent to voice it.

"It makes us feel better, Rin-san," Kisame chided her.

Rin coloured and acknowledged his point with a slight nod.

Kisame doubted she would ever change; she was Rin. He thought of Naruto's drooping whiskers and the three empty depressions in the mattress.

"You should see the nursery Naruto-san has built," Kisame suggested. Her reaction told him that she had not seen it and had no intention of doing so. Sometimes Rin had to be forced see life from others' points of view. "It is almost time for the midmeal," he observed. "You will see the nursery before the midmeal," he told her and took her hand.

Rin was shocked to feel Kisame's hand on hers but she did not try to pull away. She knew Kisame well enough to know that resistance was pointless; only Itachi or a order from a superior could make Kisame do anything. He stood up and she resigned herself to accompanying him to the crew room. She was thankful that he shortened his step so she did not have to skip.

"Rin-san wishes to see the nursery," Kisame announced as they entered the galley.

Naruto had been speaking with Iruka. He looked at them in surprise and at Rin with some resentment. Rin felt momentarily guilty, but dismissed it as weakness. The foetuses were better off in the infirmary.

The nursery was shock; so completely different than anything she could have imagined. She found herself staring at the mattress with its three unoccupied hollows only to have her view blocked as Naruto moved between her and the platform. It was almost as if the gestators were already there and he was protecting them. With creeping and growing discomfort, Rin realised that Naruto saw her as a threat to his children.

That one thought changed everything; the foetuses became Naruto's babies. Rin finally understood Naruto's attitude. In his eyes, she was the unreasonable and obsessive medico who was stopping Naruto's babies being in the nursery, where they belonged.

"I will fetch the fourth gestator, so that we can begin testing the monitoring and control systems," she told him.

Naruto blinked at her. His whiskers twitched.

"They belong here," she admitted. "The babies belong here, with you."

And he smiled at her.

Rin had seen Naruto smile many times but it had never been at her, for her. It was stunning. It touched the core of her being. It made her warm. For the first time, Rin had an inkling of why Sasuke adored him.

* * *

Naruto desperately wanted to tell Sasuke. He lay in wait to drag him into their room as he walked through the crew room on his way to the galley.

"You look happy, dobe," Sasuke said as he allowed himself to be captured.

"Rin said yes," Naruto told him. "About the babies coming home."

Sasuke hugged him. "That is wonderful. How did you persuade her?"

Naruto was not sure. "Kisame-san made her look at the nursery."

Sasuke nodded. "No one could look at the nursery and not appreciate how much you love them," he replied.

Naruto had not seen it that way; the nursery was as the nursery should be.

The midday meal was one of those ordinary events that became special. Kurenai and the children were there; Akemi and Misora were fascinated by Kisame, who allowed them to feel his skin and ask questions about being a sharkman. Naruto and Sasuke sat next to each other, their legs pressed together, sharing Naruto's contentment that the nursery would soon be occupied. Shikamaru was looking after Neji, who was still a little disconnected after his abnormally long sleep. Fu and Terai were recovering from one of their occasional spats; Hamaki was watching them chat happily with undisguised relief. Konohamaru was teasing Haku by following Kisame's lead and calling him princess. They were close to finishing eating when Shino spoke up.

"I have something to ask," he stated.

The others were alerted by his formal tone. "Please proceed, Shino-san," Iruka encouraged.

Shino flushed. "I ask permission to be intimate with someone who is not crew," he said quickly.

There was silence, followed by a number of bawdy comments that were cut off by as the speakers were reminded that there were children present. They waited.

"Anko-san," Shino admitted.

"The Silver Crew will be leaving us soon," Iruka observed. "Is it wise to become more closely involved with someone who is leaving?"

Asuma, Ibiki and Gai rolled their eyes at the thought of turning down such an opportunity merely because it had limited longevity.

"That is up to Shino-san," Kakashi reminded them. "I am sure he has thought it through. Are there any objectors?"

There were not.

"You must bring Anko-san here," Iruka insisted.

"Shino-san and Anko-san must be left to do what suits them best," Kakashi reminded Iruka gently but firmly.

Iruka sniffed. "Perhaps Anko-san could join us for the evening meal one day," he conceded.

Shino was keen on Rin's suggestion that they test the monitoring and control systems in the nursery directly after the meal; he could seen Iruka laying in wait for him. Naruto placed the fourth gestator in one of the hollows, activated the simulation function and plumbed it into the water supply coming up into the hollow from below the platform.

"You know how they work?" Rin asked Naruto.

Naruto scowled at her. "I have studied. I have passed all the assessments. You know this."

"I know it," she conceded. "Where do you intend storing the shells?" she asked, referring to the protective covering into which each gestator would be placed if moving it became necessary.

"There are compartments under the platform," Naruto told her. "Also places for the carrying harnesses and other supplies."

"We will have to run some drills," Rin observed. "In an emergency, any member of the crew must know what to do."

Naruto nodded. "How goes it, Shino-san?"

Shino tilted his tablet so that they all see the screen. "Looking good, Naruto-san," he confirmed.

* * *

Kisame, Naruto and Sumaru were first to training later that afternoon; it had been Kisame's suggestion that the three of them spend time together. Naruto and Sumaru were practicing landings, which involved Kisame boosting Naruto or Sumaru into the air. By the time the others started to arrive Sumaru was watching and Naruto was combining his jump with Kisame's boost to attain spectacular heights. With so much time aloft, Naruto had begun adding somersaults and twists.

Between attempts he was bouncing up and down, laughing with delight.

Gaara watched Naruto jump and fly and twist and laugh.

Naruto.

Naruto was a canine-human hybrid.

Gaara was a canine-human hybrid.

Naruto was nothing like him.

Could he be like Naruto?


	58. Conversations

I am very grateful for the reviews. Thank you.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another_.

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* * *

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58. Conversations

* * *

Haku and Neji eyed each other. They were in the small consulting room in the infirmary, facing up to the challenge of talking about Neji's latest hypnotherapy session.

"The Snuffers," Neji stated. "I know it was the Snuffers."

Haku was ashamed of the relief he felt that he did not have to introduce the subject.

"Shika knows," Neji added.

Haku stiffened. "I did not tell him," he insisted.

"I know you would not," Neji assured him. "This is Shikamaru we are talking about. He probably hacked into the hypnotherapy records."

Haku was outraged. "How dare he?" he demanded.

Neji shrugged. "He probably did it before he thought about what he was doing. For most people, the levels of security remind them that they are not meant to be there. For Shikamaru they may as well not exist. Please do me the favour of ignoring his misdeed, Haku-san."

"If you wish it that way," Haku conceded. "Does he know you know he knows?"

Neji unravelled the levels of complication. "No, not yet. However, he is treating me as if I am made of glass and his eyes are too wise."

"But he is not unnerved," Haku observed.

Neji considered. "No. If anything, the opposite. He has responded by being stronger."

There was silence. Haku decided to wait a little longer in the hope that Neji would choose to break it.

"I can speak of it," Neji acknowledged. "Even though I cannot remember what I said to you, I can tell what it was because the barrier has gone."

"That is one effect of the hypnotherapy," Haku reminded him.

There was another silence before Neji chose to speak again.

"Surviving the Snuffers was not the worst," he admitted.

Haku's blood ran cold with the thought of what Neji could mean.

"I was with them more than another standard after that. They stuck to the rules, I was never involved in a game again, but I…" Neji shuddered. "…I had to clean up after them. It wasn't so bad when they were dead. A few times they were dying. One would have survived, like me, but he killed himself as soon as they took him out of the tank."

"You were tougher," Haku said, gently.

Neji merely shook his head. "It was fine when they treated me like a slave. Occasionally, they would act as if they were a normal crew and I was a normal cat. That was… …intolerable. I would last until one of them touched me. Then I would lose it. I do not know why they did not kill me."

"They were bound by the rules of the game," Haku suggested. "How did you get away?"

Neji sighed. "They challenged the wrong crew. I was reparation. The poor crew did not know what to do with me so they left me alone until they could manage to get a bigger crew to take me as part of a deal. That crew had a squad of cats, so there was room for a damaged one who only did chores. They liked the way I cleaned and tidied. In their way they were kind. They left me alone. They let me learn. They taught me to fight. When I was ready, they promoted me to crew on the understanding that I would leave."

There was another long silence. Haku decided Neji was not going to speak.

"You are still you," he stated.

Neji considered. "Yes. I think I may be proud of that," he admitted.

"It is an achievement of which you should be proud," Haku insisted.

* * *

"You said they said yes," Anko complained. She stood with her arms folded, staring him down.

"That means we can," Shino replied from where he sat, his voice soft. "It does not mean we should."

Anko did not know if she should tear out her own hair, punch him or leap on him and fuck him senseless. Why did she even want him? He was too young, too soft and too damn thoughtful. On the other hand, she could not get him out of her head. She had hoped that fucking him would help, but instead she had ended up caught up with his insanely complicated substitute family.

"It's just fucking," she barked and regretted her words immediately. The change in his body language told her that any small chance of a fuck had vanished. He said nothing. She knew he was upset when he said nothing. She cast about for some way to make it up to him. "I'll come to the damn evening meal," she promised.

"This evening?" he checked.

Anko winced at the thought of being interrogated by Iruka with the rest of them listening intently. "This evening," she growled. "Where are you going?" she asked as he stood up and moved towards the door.

"To tell Choza-san that there will be one extra for the meal," he told her.

She watched his delectable arse as he walked away, wondering how in known space she had ended up going to a formal meal with his family when she had yet to see him naked.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the edge of the platform, staring at the three large eggs. Having them appear in the nursery had made the babies acutely real. Yes, he was the one who wanted children. Yes, he was the one who had insisted that they could not wait. No, he did not feel in the least part ready to be a parent. He imagined a basket in each of the three hollows and a small, screaming infant in each of the baskets. It terrified him.

He could not even take the usual Uchiha escape route of delegating their care to others. He would have to feed them and bathe them and clean up their mess because if he did not Naruto would be hurt and disappointed. Sasuke could not bear the thought of Naruto's sad eyes and drooping whiskers, never mind the reality.

Naruto's litter of three, who were here because Sasuke had wanted them and Naruto had, in Naruto's way, committed himself so wholeheartedly.

He placed a hand on one of the eggs. It vibrated slightly. He checked the identifier. It was the second boy.

"Jiro-chan. This is your…" Sasuke hesitated. "…father." He wondered what they would call Naruto; perhaps chichi or papa. He moved his hand to the next; it was the other boy. "Taro-chan," he acknowledged. Maybe he and Naruto should discuss names. 'First son' and 'second son' did not seem right for brothers of the same age and equal importance. "Aneko-chan," he added, moving his hand to the third egg.

"I shall try," he promised.

* * *

Naruto studied the short list Temari had given him. She had told him, outright, that she disapproved of what Gaara was doing. Once she had calmed a little she explained that they had compromised on this plan. Instead of Gaara asking his questions face-to-face, she would relay Gaara's questions, Naruto would record his answers and Gaara would view the answers from the safety of his ship. Naruto considered asking for more details, but decided that it would be unwise.

He set up the small, portable holo camera Shino had found for him.

"Good day, Gaara-san," Naruto said brightly. He looked at the list. "Do you lose control?" he read. He put down the tablet and unfastened the wide leather choker that bore his plaque. He laid it down on the table.

"Yes, I lose control. I am a berserker. This…" He pointed at the thin collar about his neck. "…is a controller. Shikamaru made it for me. It knocks me out when I go berserk so I don't hurt anyone." Naruto considered. "It isn't a normal controller. I set it. I can give someone else an activator, so he can knock me out. I do that when I fight. I can switch it off, but I don't, because the last person I attacked berserk was Sasuke.

"It doesn't happen often. Like the time on Chanx. Someone shot me. It was bad, because Kakashi and Ibiki had to protect me when they should have been looking after Sasuke."

Naruto pondered the question again. "I lost my temper once. I didn't go berserk, so the controller didn't cut in. I almost killed someone. I won't let that happen again. I can control my temper."

Naruto shook himself. He hated thinking about almost killing Shi-chan.

He looked back at the tablet and read, "Why Sasuke?"

It was not an easy question to answer. Naruto struggled to find the best truth.

"Sasuke is my mate," he admitted. "First he was a friend, and then the person I cared most about and then I fucked him and everything changed. Now he is part of me, like my brain or my heart." He rubbed the fur on the back of his head and smiled at the camera. "I guess I am lucky I fucked such an awesome person, 'cos I didn't know it would change me like that. It's a fox thing."

He checked the tablet again. The next question was, "Were you always happy?"

"No, I wasn't always happy. I'm not always happy now but I am happy a lot. Before I joined this crew I did not know happy. I was scared most of the time. Most of the time I was scared of dying. A bit of the time I was scared I would flip and kill someone. Not that I minded killing, but I knew I would be terminated if someone found out."

Naruto thought about it. "Two things happened that changed everything. I met good people. I got the controller so I could be trusted not to kill them. Now I can be happy."

He checked the tablet. No more questions had appeared.

"I guess that's it, Gaara-san. I hope my answers help. I would really like us to be friends."

Naruto switched off the camera and copied the video to a tape.

* * *

Temari suggested the docking bay for her meeting with Gaara. It was reassuringly open.

"You viewed the tape before you gave it to me," Gaara stated.

Temari nodded. "Yes, it seemed prudent."

There was silence.

"You cannot consider it," she told him. "You would have to expose your weaknesses for Shikamaru to make the controller. Even if we could trust him to design and make it, wearing it would make you vulnerable."

Gaara understood. They would no longer be terrified of him. Terror gave Gaara power.

But Temari was his sister. She was his sister in a way that Kankuro was not his brother.

"I want a life, Temari," he admitted. "Naruto has a life."

"You will never be Naruto, Gaara," she told him. "He is light and you are dark." She looked at him. "You have responsibilities that Naruto does not have."

He met her gaze and she immediately looked away. "I will stay as I am until we defeat the slavers," he informed her. "Then I will step down."

Temari shook her head. "Kankuro is not capable."

"You are," Gaara replied. "I will be your champion, as Naruto is Sasuke's champion. If necessary, I will kill Kankuro. It will not be necessary. Once he is sworn to you, I will be free."

Gaara's plan was tempting and not unrealistic.

"I agree," she told him.

Gaara was shocked. Surprise threatened his control. He began walking towards his ship.

"Good," he acknowledged as he entered the airlock.

Temari watched until the airlock closed.

The more thought she gave it, the better Gaara's plan appeared.

* * *

Anko had racked her mind for a suitable gift. In the end she had sacrificed ninety minutes to make sweetmeats to her mother's recipe. She presented them to Iruka on arrival and was rewarded by a smile that looked genuine.

"These look lovely, Anko-san," Iruka acknowledged.

Anko decided that she needed all the credit that was available. "My mother's recipe, Iruka-san. I hope you like it," she replied, ignoring Shino's flabbergasted expression.

The smile was definitely warm this time. "That makes them doubly precious, Anko-san." Iruka told her. He handed the box to Konohamaru. "Kono-kun, please arrange these on a suitable plate."

After the first ten minutes, Anko decided that formality had its good points. It reminded her to watch her tongue and ensured predictability. For the first time in her life, Anko was grateful to her mother for her unrelenting insistence on good manners.

"And what are your long-term plans, Anko-san?" Iruka asked.

Anko silently cursed; this was one of those questions to which there was no good answer. Having no plans would not be acceptable, having plans that included Shino would be presumptuous and having plans that did not include Shino would be selfish. "I find that plans require constant revision," she replied. "I am sure that your plans did not include running the Uchiha household, Iruka-san."

Iruka actually laughed. "That is so true, Anko-san," he agreed.

"You were wonderful," Shino admitted when they finally escaped into his room. "Thank you."

Anko flopped onto the bed. "Someone explain how a man who is younger than me can be a clone of my mother," she complained.

"Iruka-san is younger than you?" Shino queried.

Anko rolled onto her front and propped her chin up on her hands. "That's what Tsunade told us. Iruka joined the Silver Leaf, as cat, less than ten standards ago. That makes him at most twenty-four. He only seems forty."

Shino shivered. "We expect so much from him," he murmured.

"At least Kakashi finally realised what he has and stuck a ring on his finger," Anko observed. She reached out and snagged Shino's hand. "Do I get my reward now?" she asked.

Shino flushed. "Reward?"

Anko pulled him close. "Naked. I want you naked."

Shino twisted away. "I will take my lenses out," he conceded, sat down and proceeded to do so.

Anko sighed. It was hopeless; the Silver Leaf would leave before she managed to get him out of his clothes.

"Anko," he called, softly.

She looked at him and desire surged; by the Lady his eyes were beautiful.

* * *

Shikamaru was surprised that Neji had booked the bathroom for them. They began in Shikamaru's room; the plan was to shower there and then luxuriate in the bath.

He was nervous as they stripped; Neji could not fail to notice it.

Neji was surprised to see a ring on a long chain about Shikamaru's neck. He stepped closer and touched it.

"Shika?" he asked.

"It's for you," Shikamaru admitted. "If ever you feel you can accept it."

It was a very Shikamaru solution; a gentle but reoccurring reminder of his affection. Neji could not take it but Shikamaru did not expect him to; not yet.

"Haku is cross with you," Neji told him, "for hacking into the records."

Shikamaru flushed. "I…" he began.

Neji placed a finger on his lips. "Hush. I am not cross. It is who you are."

"It makes me love you more, not less," Shikamaru assured him. "You are amazing."

Neji could accept the first, but not the second. He changed the subject. "I have been thinking," he told Shikamaru. "It is easiest in the shower. It is easier anywhere that does not remind me."

"The bath," Shikamaru surmised. His eyes lit up. "The galley? The Control Room? The laboratory? What about Naruto's nursery? That's weird enough to be different."

"Shika!" Neji scolded but he could not help smiling.

Shikamaru reached out and ran his fingertips through a strand of Neji's hair. "Today we try the bath," he agreed.


	59. Expectations

Thanks for the reviews. I find them very useful and they inspire me to keep writing.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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59. Expectations**

* * *

Sasuke had never seen Shikamaru so tense. If it had been anyone else Sasuke would have been worried that he was pushing one of his people past his or her limit.

"Can I help?" he asked.

Shikamaru almost jumped out of his skin; he had not realised that Sasuke was there. He had been juggling everything in his head: the plan to defeat the slavers, sorting Gaara's ship and his secret campaign against the Snuffers. None of them were made easier by the fact they were heading further and further out into the Fringe towards the Wave system.

"Shikamaru?" Sasuke queried. "Speak to me," he insisted.

"The lack of light speed communication relays is making my job more difficult," Shikamaru admitted. "Also, we only have spare components for Naruto's equipment. We must find a supplier if I am to modify Gaara's ship without cannibalising what we already have. The constraints of keeping the meeting with Kankuro and staying on our original course to Wave are close to incompatible with the ship modifications." He sighed. "I now know that we must carry more and a greater variety of supplies. I underestimated our requirement for flexibility. I apologise, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke scowled at him. "Let me get this straight. You are apologising for not anticipating meeting a hybrid, for not planning in advance for a completely new mission and for not lavishly stocking the ship at a time when we only had limited credit. Shikamaru, don't act like an idiot. You are a genius, not a magician."

Shikamaru flushed.

"Prioritise and re-plan," Sasuke told him. "The only fixed event is the meeting with Kankuro. Consider using the ships separately. Include the Silver Leaf as I am sure Tsunade-san would be open to persuasion. Consider buying or hiring more ships if that is necessary."

"Can I split the crew?" Shikamaru asked. "If there is no alternative?"

Sasuke hated the idea. "Yes. Don't expect Naruto to leave the babies. Now, let's go to the galley and make you some real coffee."

Shikamaru smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Sasuke."

Within thirty minutes they had a promising plan. Sasuke would persuade Tsunade to take Shikamaru's shopping list. She would use her trader skills to obtain the urgently required items while setting up deals that would deliver the remainder. The Oak would jump into a gated system with light speed communication relays and deliver the Silver Leaf into a shipping lane while Shikamaru connected to the data streams. They would then follow a new route to the Wave system. This would allowed them to keep the appointment with Kankuro and visit a space station where Shikamaru could purchase the more esoteric components he required. The modified plan would delay their arrival in the Wave system by only ten days.

There was one complication; Temari would have to stay with them rather than crewing on the Silver Leaf. They needed her to liaise with Gaara and for the meeting with Kankuro.

"Tsunade-san will ask for Shino," Shikamaru warned Sasuke. "I can't spare him."

"She is already getting Jiraiya," Sasuke replied. "Should we be asking for Anko? Do you think it is serious?"

Shikamaru grinned. "Neji says it must be serious because otherwise Shino would have settled for being one of Anko's quick fucks. Instead he is making her jump through a thousand and one hoops. The Silver Leaf can't spare Anko. She's their champion. Tenten is too inexperienced."

"We could offer to look after Tayuya," Sasuke suggested. "Then they wouldn't have a cat. That reduces the likelihood of challenge. It would also mean that Temari, Anko and Tayuya could stay in the guest crew room."

"They'll jump at it," Shikamaru agreed. "Tayuya's a crew's worst nightmare. Lady knows that Tsunade-san was thinking when she persuaded them to take her. If they still won't go for it, ask Ibiki to go with them for his one trip. That will win over Suzume and Ibiki will enjoy himself." He considered. "Better check with Iruka-sensei about Tayuya."

* * *

Iruka looked at the devastation and swallowed. He was anticipating the intensity of Haku's likely reaction when Haku arrived and started screaming. Iruka did not blame him. The closet was Haku's pride and joy. It was bad enough that Tayuya had pulled everything out its place into a rumpled heap on the floor but pouring bleach over Haku's kimonos was far beyond spiteful.

Then Haku spotted the kimonos and went absolutely silent.

"I am going to kill her," he said and drew one of his knives.

Iruka lunged at him but missed. Luckily Kisame was in the next room and caught him. Iruka watched in admiration as he calmly disarmed Haku and carried him away, completely ignoring the blows Haku was raining down on him. Watching them gave Iruka an idea. He asked Naruto to find and retrieve Tayuya.

He then went to one of the spare rooms in the crew room. He made up the bed, put a few changes of clothing in the closet, stacked some emergency rations on the table and checked that head and shower functioned. When Naruto arrived he had Tayuya bent into a shape where it hurt her if she moved. She was wild-eyed and breathing shallowly. Iruka stood at the open doorway.

"Toss her in," he said.

Naruto complied.

Iruka slid the door closed and locked it. He then went to help Neji and Konohamaru in the closet.

There were a few small mercies. Tayuya had overlooked Haku's two dress kimonos, which were stored in boxes, and three of the others, including one of Haku's favourites, were in the laundry. The others were ruined beyond repair, as was everything else the undiluted bleach had touched, including the carpet.

"We have to remove all trace of it," Iruka insisted. "Kono-kun, work out where we can get another carpet from and how we can fit it. Ask for help until you have a solution."

Konohamaru nodded and left.

"What have you done with her?" Neji asked.

"Locked her in a spare room." Iruka replied. "She will stay there until I decide what to do with her and I can be sure Haku won't gut her."

"What sparked it?" Neji asked.

Iruka sighed. "Haku told her what he thought of her. Tayuya didn't respond at the time. I thought she had decided to pretend she had not heard it."

Neji transferred another of the previously beautiful kimonos to the disposal bag he was holding. "Apparently not," he observed. "She didn't throw the bleach in his face," he added.

Iruka froze.

"I am saying that she isn't beyond hope," Neji explained. "She does have limits."

* * *

Sasuke looked at the three women who were standing on the other side of his desk. He had offered seats but they had refused them.

"It's been five days, Sasuke-sama," Temari complained. "Iruka-san will not even allow Rin-san to go in and check Tayuya is healthy. The door had not been opened once."

"Naruto says that Tayuya's breathing is normal," Sasuke assured them.

"Five days in a room with nothing to do is mental cruelty," Rin added.

Sasuke felt the first twinge of guilt.

"It was only a few clothes," Anko grumbled.

His nascent sympathy vanished. "It was not a 'few clothes', Anko-san. It was an act calculated to cause a great deal of pain. Most of us have some possessions that mean more to us than their material worth. Whether you are capable of understanding that or not, you are wasting your time here. I have no intention of overruling Iruka-sensei. I suggest that you raise your concerns with him. Please close the door on your way out."

Anko kicked the bulkhead on the opposite side of the corridor and released a string of curses as soon as the door was shut.

"Way to go, Anko," Temari sneered. "We were getting somewhere until you opened your big mouth. If that's what you said to Shino, I'm not surprised he isn't talking to you."

"At least I don't have a brother who would prefer to hibernate rather than spend time with me," Anko retaliated.

Temari bit back an extremely inappropriate response. It was true that she and Gaara had disagreed about whether he should confide in Naruto and Shikamaru that he would be wanting a controller in the future. Temari had won, but Gaara was now hibernating.

Rin studied the pair of them and shook her head. "I will speak with Iruka-san alone," she declared.

"I have decided to allow her out today," Iruka told Rin, placing a cup of tea before her. "I had hoped that she would ask to be released, or cry, or throw a tantrum but Neji-san says that this silence may indicate she has accepted my authority."

"Maybe you could stock the room with improving reading material before next time?" Rin suggested. "And maybe allow her flute?"

Iruka grimaced. "We both think there will be a next time," he observed. "Yes to the reading material. That is a good idea. I am less convinced about the flute."

* * *

Iruka slid back the door and pushed the basket into the room with his foot. "I expect you in my office in five minutes."

She was there, which was good. She was even wearing the clean clothes that had been in the basket.

"Your behaviour was utterly unacceptable, Tayuya," he told her. "It was unacceptable because you deliberately set out to hurt Haku-san badly. Also, you chose to do so in a way that could not be remedied. From now on, if you behave in an unacceptable way you will be punished as you were punished this time. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Tayuya responded.

Iruka was astonished by the honorific. He decided, for the moment, to accept it as its face value. "That is good, Tayuya-kun. I have persuaded Haku-san not to carve reparations for his kimonos out of your flesh but it would probably be prudent to avoid him."

Tayuya's eyes widened. "I understand, Iruka-sensei," she whispered.

Iruka knew that Tayuya was sneaking peeks at him through the open doorway as he cleaned the room. She watched him remake the bed, stock the closet with clean, Tayuya-sized clothes, stack ration packs in one of the lockers and place a stand-alone tablet on the table. As he left the room and locked it, he could see her watching from the galley.

Tayuya had wondered what Iruka would do as she had poured bleach over Haku's ridiculous kimonos. She had never imagined him ignoring her, or her terror at being hunted down by Naruto, or being stuck with nothing but her thoughts for five days. Until Iruka-sensei had said it, she had not considered that Haku might be dangerous; she had seen him as some girly-boy floozy rather than a spacer who had knives and knew how to use them. Similarly, she had seen Naruto as Sasuke's exotic pet until her every instinct had screamed fear as he pursued her.

In Tayuya experience, people lived down to her expectations. Tsunade made promises she did not keep, Suzume was weak, Shizune avoided unpleasantness, Anko could be provoked, Tenten was gullible and Temari was too stuck up to bother. Iruka appeared different. Iruka was consistent. Iruka had standards and kept to them. Tayuya had not been convinced; if she pushed hard enough Iruka would let her down, like all the others.

She watched Iruka-sensei prepare and lock her punishment room. She had no doubt that he would use it. It made her feel safe.

She went to find Sumaru. She liked Sumaru. His dislike of her was reassuringly consistent.

* * *

"I am not one of your quick fucks, Anko-san," Shino informed her.

Anko lost it. "When did I treat you like a quick fuck? We have had seven kisses and one grope. I know because each one is etched into my memory. You drive me completely and totally wild. I want you so much I could scream. Scream like this." She screamed, her hands fisted in her hair.

Shino blinked at her. He had his damn lenses in. She could see herself in their mirrored surface.

"What do I have to do?" she yelled. "I have been nice to so many people my teeth hurt. I made sweetmeats. I have admitted that I was wrong more often in the last div than I have in my entire life. I have stopped myself jumping you. My hand aches from masturbating so much. My vibrator has given out from overuse. Don't you find me at all attractive?"

"Don't be silly," he said in his impossibly smooth, soft voice. "You are lovely."

He stepped closer and for one wonderful moment she thought he was going to kiss her but, instead, he turned away. She watched, stunned, as he went to a locker, opened it, took out his lockbox, unlocked it, opened it, removed something, relocked the box and turned back to her.

It was something on a chain. She stood, motionless, as he moved behind her, hung a pendant around her neck and fastened it.

"It was my great-grandmother's," he told her. "I want you to have it. You remind me of her. She was a very special lady."

Anko wanted to scream again. Stopping the scream made her temples throb. She went through the motions of admiring the pendant. "It is lovely, Shino-san," she heard herself say. "Thank you. I will treasure it."

Temari was sitting at the galley table in the guest crew room when Anko arrived. She went straight to the liquor locker, found a bottle of whisky and two small cups. She flopped down at the table, filled one of the cups and gestured with the bottle towards Temari. Temari shook her head. Anko emptied her cup and refilled it.

"That bad?" Temari asked.

Anko displayed the pendant. "Shino gave me this. It was his great-grandmother's."

Temari examined it. "It is very nice work and it suits you. Don't you like it?"

"It's lovely." Anko drained her cup again. "He didn't even kiss me."

"You have to stop thinking about sex," Temari told her.

Anko stared at her.

"When you are with him, all you do is think about fucking. That's what he doesn't like. Do something together. Cook. Train. Ask him to show you how to build a flyer." Temari suddenly smiled. "Find out when Kurenai is going to leave the children with him and offer to show them how to make those sweetmeats."

It was, Anko had to admit, fun. Shino and Keitaro watched while she helped Akemi and Misora make the sweetmeats. They made more mess than sweetmeats but managed to make six reasonable ones for Kurenai and Asuma. After they cleaned up the galley and the children there was time for a few games before returning three very tired small people to their parents. Shino then walked her back to the guest crew room. She was too tired to think about fucking, so the kiss was unexpected. She responded and was surprised when he did not relinquish control.

She had never felt more thoroughly kissed.

It was nice.


	60. Moving on

Thank you for the reviews. They really do keep me going.

The tune is 'I feel pretty' from West Side Story. You'll understand when you get there.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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60. Moving on**

* * *

Kankuro and Temari appeared utterly stunned. Even Gaara blinked.

"You wanted a permanent solution," Shikamaru reminded them. "Double-gating your system means that it will never be worth their while coming back. You'll be impossible to bottle up. Using toll gates with inbuilt light speed communication relays gives you control and earns you credit."

"We buy six gates," Temari checked. "Three of which have to be more expensive than normal because the holes are on the edge of being unusable. That will cost us?" she queried.

"About two petacredits," Shikamaru told them. "You raise the money against a planet you didn't know you had," he explained. An image of a lush-looking planet appeared. "This beauty is one jump away from Kaze III. It was seeded with a standard ecology over ten thousand standards ago. The is no trace of it in the Colonial Service's current records so I'm guessing that it was some Space Hopper's secret nest egg. Whatever, it is unoccupied and worth at least twenty petacredits so raising credit against it shouldn't be a problem."

"How do we raise credit against a planet we do not own?" Kankuro asked.

Shikamaru coloured slightly. "As far as everyone else is concerned you do. Or rather, Temari-san does as the oldest surviving member of your family's main line. You will find everything in order. The records appear to go back to when your family first occupied the Kaze system and staked their claim."

"You have stolen a twenty-petacredit planet and given it to me?" Temari queried.

"I did not steal it," Shikamaru assured her. "I found it. It was lost. Yes, I have given it to you." He smiled. "We expect you to raise enough credit against it to pay us as well as buying the gates and funding the rest of the plan."

"You could have kept it," Kankuro observed. He looked towards where Sasuke was sitting with Naruto beside him. "For Uchiha."

Sasuke shrugged. "Why would Uchiha want with a planet that can only be reached from Kaze III? This way we end up with powerful allies in this region of space."

Temari frowned. "There are suggestions of a lost planet in our oral history," she admitted.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, that is mentioned in the Sunagakure records. That was my starting point."

"You have our records?" Temari queried.

Shikamaru shrugged.

Gaara spoke. "Describe the plan."

Getting rid of the slavers would be a combination of timing, coordination, unprecedented resources and being able to travel routes that should be impossible. Shikamaru hoped that the slavers would accept that defeat was inevitable and leave.

"If they dig in it will be messy," he admitted. "Vulnerable planet-dwellers will die."

"They harvest our people as slaves, Shikamaru-san," Temari reminded him. "If we can convince them we have a good chance, the planet-dwellers will help us kill them."

"Hopefully that will not be necessary," Shikamaru repeated. "If we handle information flow perfectly, I estimate that there is an 81% probability they will choose to leave." He took a deep breath. "That brings me to one of the most important parts of the plan. There was a reason why we insisted that only you three should attend this meeting. We must keep all details of the plan secret."

"There is a traitor or a spy very close to you," Sasuke informed them.

Kankuro exploded with denial. Shikamaru projected a three-dimensional diagram showing information flow. Temari studied the image.

"Shut up, Kankuro," Gaara said quietly.

Kankuro fell silent immediately.

"I agree," Temari stated.

"No information leaves this ship or is shared." Gaara ordered. "Timeline for the plan." he demanded.

There were three possible dates for the coup. The earliest, which required every step to go smoothly, was in a half-standard's time.

"The first date," Gaara decided. "We review in two divs. Temari stays as liaison. Kankuro will act as if the negotiations failed. This meeting is over. I will speak to Shikamaru alone."

"No!" Naruto and Temari replied simultaneously.

They compromised. Kankuro went back to his ship. Sasuke went to his office. The other four went to the docking bay. Gaara and Shikamaru moved out of earshot but stayed within Naruto's line of sight. Gaara turned his back to Temari and Naruto.

"She lip-reads," he warned.

Shikamaru turned his body likewise. "A useful skill. Naruto can probably hear us," he warned.

"That is fine," Gaara replied. "Temari cannot. You gave the planet to Temari," he observed.

Shikamaru stiffened, momentarily fearful that Gaara was displeased.

"You know our plans," Gaara stated.

Shikamaru relaxed. "I have guessed from what Naruto has told me. I will help you in any way I can, Gaara-san. I have already begun working on the controller, using the information we collected when you used Naruto's gun turret. Perhaps you could visit the infirmary and submit to the dia-doc? That would help enormously."

"I will do so," Gaara agreed. "My ship monitors me continually. I have lost control many times. I will send you the data."

"Do that first," Shikamaru suggested. "It may make using the dia-doc redundant. A visit to the infirmary would involve lying to Temari-san. She is very skilled at detecting lies."

"I shall." Gaara considered. "Kankuro is trustworthy. His men are suspect. If you know the identity of the traitor, tell us."

"I don't," Shikamaru admitted. "Temari may be able to work it out. She has more information about individuals."

Gaara fixed Shikamaru with his gaze. "I will owe you."

Shikamaru smiled. "Na-chan is my best friend. He wants me to help you. That is enough. I do not need to be owed."

* * *

There was a message from Rin waiting for Sasuke when he arrived at his office. He suggested that she come to his office.

"I have been in discussion with the scientist, Kabuto," Rin reminded him.

Sasuke nodded.

"There was a message from him in the packet of correspondence we picked up when we jumped into this system. He wishes to examine Naruto-san. He says that he may be able to suggest treatments that could contribute to an age retard programme."

Sasuke knew that Naruto would be against it. "Can't he work with a simulation?"

"I would have difficulty working in meaningful way with a simulation, Sasuke-sama," Rin admitted. "Naruto-san is unique. Even the best simulation that Shikamaru and I can construct is inadequate. Kabuto-san has sent me his current travel plans. With a small modification of our course, we could rendezvous with him on our way inwards from Wave." She paused. "That would give you time to persuade Naruto-san. He is not totally opposed to treatments to stave off the symptoms of aging."

Sasuke was acutely aware that they would be jumping away from the light speed communication relay within the day. "I will check the course modification with Shikamaru. If he agrees we send a message arranging the rendezvous. If Naruto refuses to see him, he will have to settle for consulting with you."

He headed for the crew room, knowing that Shikamaru and Naruto would return there after their meeting with Gaara. Shikamaru was canoodling with Neji on one of the couches; it was good to see them making progress, however slowly. He felt guilty interrupting Shikamaru and asking to speak with him. He explained the situation swiftly.

"Can you check that the course modification is realistic and will not affect our other plans?" he asked. He took a deep breath. "If it is practicable, please tell Rin-san as soon as possible so that she can send a message today, before we jump. And, please, can you not mention it to Naruto until I have had an opportunity to talk to him about it?"

Shikamaru frowned. "I won't bring it up but I won't lie to him if he starts asking questions," he replied.

Sasuke nodded. It was as much as he could hope for. He would have to face up to tackling the subject with Naruto sooner rather than later.

Naruto was, as Sasuke expected, in the nursery. He was lying on the platform, his long body curving between the gestators. Sasuke had already shed his boots and his jacket in their room. He climbed into the platform, lay down and positioned himself behind Naruto. Naruto pushed back against him and Sasuke hugged him close.

"How are they?" he asked.

"They have all gained mass," Naruto informed him with pride. "All indicators are above 95%."

"Clever babies, " Sasuke acknowledged. "Have you thought any more about names?" he asked.

A small growl grumbled in Naruto's chest. "Names," he complained.

Sasuke wished he had not brought it up; he had come to accept that Naruto felt no urge to name the babies.

Naruto sat up and looked at him. "Are names so important to you?" he asked.

Usually Sasuke prevaricated but, usually, Naruto did not ask so directly. "Yes," he admitted.

Naruto touched the egg containing the baby girl, "Hoshi, our star." He laid a hand on the first boy, "Hikaru, our light," and the second boy, "Haru, our sunshine."

Sasuke blinked. It was very quick, he had not been consulted and he had reservations about having triplets with such similar names. On the other hand, they were Naruto's babies and he was much more comfortable having names to use. He mimicked Naruto's hand movements.

"Hoshi-chan, Hikaru-chan, Haru-chan," he agreed.

Naruto nodded, then slid across Sasuke and lay down behind him. Strong arms held Sasuke tightly. Whiskers tickled his neck. "I have booked the bathroom for us this evening," Naruto whispered.

* * *

Petersville was a laissez-faire space station in a system with no habitable planets but ten holes, six of which were navigable even without an improver. Four of the six were gated. Having so many ways in and out meant that the space station was unattractive to pirates and, consequently, very popular with everyone else. Many traders had outlets there. With so many spacers visiting, there were many leisure facilities.

"We're going dancing, we're going dancing, we're going dancing, yes dancing, today!" sang Haku as he danced from one end of his crew room, through the galley and the length of the other crew room, followed by Fu and Terai.

Iruka sighed and gave up the attempt to manage the crew's access to the space station in a sensible manner.

"It'll be the best protected crew in known space," Kakashi reminded him.

"It'll need to be, with a female cat and four women," Iruka complained.

"We're taking Tayuya?" Kakashi queried.

"She has been very well behaved recently, she deserves to go," Iruka insisted.

"Kurenai and I will stay here, of course," Asuma said.

"I could stay with the children, Asuma-san," Shino offered. "You and Kurenai-san deserve some fun."

Out of the corner of his eye, Iruka saw Anko's expression collapse into resigned misery.

"You will take Anko-san dancing, Shino-san," he insisted and was rewarded by Anko perking up.

"I shall?" Shino asked.

Asuma slapped him on the back. "Of course you will, Shino-kun. Young lovers need to go dancing. We will look after Sumaru-kun, Iruka-san."

"That is kind of you," Iruka acknowledged.

Kurenai had been watching Naruto. "We will bring the children over here," she said. "To be with Sumaru-kun when he is guarding the babies."

Sumaru, who had looked a little crestfallen at being left behind, puffed up at the thought of guarding Naruto's litter.

"Thank you, Kurenai-san," Naruto acknowledged.

"You are very welcome, Naruto-san," Kurenai replied.

"We can stay here," Sasuke offered as Naruto checked the nursery for the fifth time.

Naruto shook his head slowly. "There will be times when I have to leave them. Better the first time be now, when the risk is low." He looked at Sasuke. "You look awesome."

Sasuke had found the silk shirt they had bought on Tarrasade and put it with some dark blue pants that looked like a second skin. He added boots, his knife and the bracelets and earrings that corresponded to Naruto's tags.

Naruto was wearing skin-tight leather pants, a mesh shirt, boots, his knife and his tags. Haku had managed to persuade him to forgo orange.

"You are magnificent," Sasuke told him.

Kakashi decided, on balance, that it was good that Naruto drew the eye so completely. It meant that there was some small possibility that people might overlook Sasuke. He was utterly gorgeous. His lack of vanity, the way he assumed that the stunned silence was for Naruto, only made him more beautiful. On impulse, Kakashi pulled the tie from Iruka's hair.

"'Kashi!" Iruka objected.

Kakashi shrugged. "I like it down. Please. For once."

Iruka looked about him. In such company only Kakashi's eye would be on him. "Very well," he agreed. "But if someone pervs on me, you had better chase him away."

* * *

It was fun. They took over most of a club and no one seemed to mind. Naruto danced. Sometime Sasuke danced with him. Many of the others also danced, particularly Haku, Fu and Temari. Neji and Shikamaru made out in a corner; it appeared that nightclubs did not evoke any unpleasant memories. Rin and Dan held hands. Shino behaved as if he was escorting Anko on an evening out and Anko made the most of it, even persuading him to dance a few times. Iruka and Kakashi only bothered with the slow dances. Kisame kept his eye on Kono-kun and Tayuya.

They got back to the ship without challenge or other incident. There had been no crisis while they were gone. The babies were fine; Sumaru was asleep on the platform in Naruto's place. Naruto carried him to his room and then returned to Sasuke. The others looked at each other knowingly, it was bound to be one of those nights with much growling, howling and screaming.

Shikamaru looked at Neji from under his hair. Neji looked back. Neither of them could quite believe that Shikamaru had given Neji a blowjob in a nightclub. Neji was undecided what was the more shocking: that Shikamaru would do it, that no one would care or that he would thoroughly enjoy it. Whatever, it was a massive breakthrough. Neji gathered his Shika to him and kissed him. "Thank you," he whispered.

Haku sat at his mirror removing his cosmetics, wondering who would come through the doorway that he had left so invitingly open. Kisame? Gai? Perhaps Inoichi or even Kunugi? He had been wiping away his eye makeup when he heard the door slide shut and the lock engage. When he opened his eyes it was Konohamaru and, to Haku's delight, his expression was distinctly predatory.

Shino walked Anko to the guest crew room. They had a brief glimpse of Temari as she ordered Tayuya to bed and retired to her own room with a wave. Anko made Shino coffee and poured them both a small whisky. They say opposite each other across the galley table.

"I had fun," Anko told him.

Shino smiled. He brought out a small box, removed his lenses and put the box back in his pocket. "So did I," he admitted.

Anko swirled the whisky about her cup. "I don't understand the rules of the game," she admitted. "Do I have to serve a probationary period? Or offer you a heart ring? Or agreed to spend my life with you? Or let you plant a baby in me?"

Shino stiffened. "There are no rules, Anko-san," he told her. "Lifetime commitment and babies are not suitable subjects for mockery," he rebuked her.

Tears prickled Anko's eyes. "I've had enough, Shino-san. If there aren't any rules I will never work out what you want. I've had enough of being alone at night because I can't please you and you will not give me what I need."

She did not see the stricken look in his eyes. "Do you want to end it, Anko-san?" he asked, softly.

Anko was on the edge of saying yes. Then she risked looking into his eyes and knew that she would meet his price, whatever that proved to be. "No," she admitted.

"Would you like me to stay with you tonight?" he asked.

She sobbed. She could not help it. "Yes, oh yes. Even if all we do is sleep together. Please."

It was, indeed, wonderful to cuddle close and wait for sleep.

Not that she minded the sated contentment he had managed to create in her with his clever fingers and talented tongue or, finally, having the opportunity to use Shikamaru's gift, the red lipstick, for its intended purpose.


	61. Control

Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them greatly. They do influence what I write, particularly if the reader writes about how s/he sees characters and plot developments. Comments about style are also useful.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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61. Control**

* * *

Everything required to modify Gaara's ship was laid out across the floor of the docking bay. Each component was as complete as possible to minimise the time required for installation. Shikamaru, Shino and Konohamaru had begun work as soon as the Silver Leaf had returned with its cargo; the display represented five days of intensive labour.

"Is he ready?" Shikamaru asked.

Temari bit her lip. Gaara would have to be separated from his ship for a minimum of one hundred minutes, possibly longer, and the stress of not having his ship to fall back to was almost guaranteed to push him over the edge. Their solution was a small, very cold room and Gaara accepting that he would be in a vulnerable, hibernating state without his ship to protect him.

"I am ready," a voice stated from the open airlock.

Gaara was already chilled and sluggish. Temari walked before him as guide. He held one thought in his mind: lock the door, lock the door, lock the door. The cold of the room hit him. He locked the door and then slowly collapsed.

* * *

Shikamaru tried to concentrate on the task. Ideally Konohamaru would have been assisting Shino, but it had been difficult for Gaara to accept the concept of anyone entering his ship. He was least uncomfortable with Naruto, reluctantly accepting of Shikamaru and initially opposed to Shino. They had decided that including Konohamaru would be too much to ask.

Being inside the ship made Shikamaru want to weep. Shikamaru had seen Naruto's face and knew that he felt the same way; large blue eyes and drooping whiskers ensured that Naruto's sad expression touched the soul.

The ship was unrelentingly stark; there was nothing inside other than equipment. Knowing that Gaara denied himself stimulation was very different to experiencing the reality. Shikamaru knew that Gaara had lived on this ship for six standards; this was his home.

"Shika-san!" Shino demanded.

Shikamaru pulled himself together, assessed where Shino was and handed him the next component.

They blocked off the surrounding corridors and left the airlock of the Gourd open. Shikamaru set the temperature in the small room to rise gradually.

Gaara was given his privacy for the inevitable loss of control.

* * *

Sasuke was in his office. He saw Naruto's expression and immediately set aside what he had been doing. Naruto was trembling slightly and he whimpered when Sasuke touched him. Sasuke moved to the largest chair. Naruto sat in his lap and clung. Sasuke held him, stroked him and murmured words of comfort.

A terrible thought crept into Sasuke's mind. "Is it one of the babies?" he whispered.

Naruto was on his feet and out the door.

Sasuke chased after him. Not that he had any hope of catching up but he could do his best to reduce the time Naruto was in the nursery without him. When he arrived Naruto had checked all the displays but was still hyper-alert.

"They are fine," he confirmed.

Sasuke's legs had gone rubbery. He sat on the platform. "It wasn't the babies, then," he surmised.

Naruto scowled at him, "You said babies," he accused.

"I was guessing, dobe," Sasuke told him.

"Teme," Naruto complained. "You promise not to do that again," he insisted.

"I am sorry," Sasuke confessed.

"Promise," Naruto repeated.

"Dobe, I can't promise not to think that one of the babies is in trouble when you come to me looking like your world is ending," Sasuke told him.

Naruto thought about it. "I understand," he conceded. "Teme," he complained but he sat down next to Sasuke on the platform.

"So what is wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shuddered. "We saw inside Gaara's ship."

Sasuke wished they had never met the other canine-human hybrid; too much about Gaara upset Naruto, including his life of self-denial.

Naruto touched his controller. "This saved me from being terminated. I know that. Gaara found another way." He shuddered. "Gaara's way is worse than dying."

"To you, sweetheart. Not to Gaara. Gaara made that choice."

Naruto looked away from him. "It is hard to choose death. I remember what I did to live. Dug in bins. Stole. Was a good doggy. Wagged my arse so they would fuck me."

Sasuke wanted to kill those men.

"Maybe I would have chosen like Gaara," Naruto admitted. Then, in a blur, he was gone. Sasuke could hear him vomiting.

Sasuke took a moment to put his head out into the crew room. The number of anxious faces he saw confirmed his suspicion that one or both of them had been seen running through the corridors.

"We are fine," he assured them. "The babies are fine." He slid the door shut, found a cup, filled it with water and took it to Naruto. Naruto washed his mouth out a few times and then drank the remainder.

"Cuddle?" Sasuke suggested.

"Cuddle," Naruto agreed.

* * *

The installation had gone well. Gaara had lost control but the only victim had been the mattress in the small room, which was shredded. Once he was calm enough to unlock the door he had managed to get back to his ship where he had hibernated until the next morning.

Gaara and Shikamaru wanted to test the controller. This required Gaara's presence but Temari's absence. Conveniently, the timeline for the plan required Temari to travel to Belmenth to raise credit against the planet. Temari, ever suspicious, had insisted that Gaara leave before her.

"We had to tweak a few of the systems," Shikamaru told Temari, which was true. "So Gaara-san will have to stay an extra few days," he added, which was not.

She scowled at him. "Perhaps Tsunade-san will be able to delay our departure for day or so," she suggested.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe," he responded, knowing that the Silver Leaf was already on the tightest of schedules. "You could ask."

* * *

Tayuya's heart sank as she heard Iruka-sensei's footsteps stop outside the door. She had hoped that being in the punishment room would mean that she did not have to leave. The door slid back. Beyond him she could see her bag, already packed. Smashing every piece of crockery in the galley of the guest crew room had proved pointless.

"Time for you to go, Tayuya-kun," he informed her.

She considered running but she knew he would send Naruto after her. She picked up the bag and trudged in his wake towards the docking bay.

Iruka watched Tayuya standing there. Her head was bowed. He suspected she was crying. He regretted having to return her to her crew but, with Temari leaving and Anko joining their crew, he had no alternative.

They had only been a few minutes early but had been the first to arrive. Only Temari arrived by the designated time. They exchanged greetings.

Then Suzume arrived with Ibiki. She did not apologise for her tardiness. She did not take charge of Tayuya. Iruka and Ibiki passed several minutes in cordial conversation.

Running footsteps; Tenten rounded the corner and skidded to a stop. She looked about, obviously relieved not to be last, and bowed her acknowledgement of those already waiting.

Anko sauntered in to say goodbye. Iruka shook his head slightly; you knew a crew was habitually tardy when even the well-wishers did not bother to be punctual.

Next Shizune arrived, escorted by Rin and Dan. There was another round of greetings.

Iruka's foot had started to tap.

Finally, Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived. They were twenty-three minutes late.

No one said or had said one word to Tayuya.

Iruka was annoyed.

"Tsunade-san?" he inquired.

"Iruka-san?" she responded.

"I am considering issuing a formal challenge for your cat," he began.

Tayuya's head came up. She had, indeed, been crying.

"Which, perhaps, you would choose not to contest, since you obviously care so little for her," he continued.

"Iruka-san!" Jiraiya complained.

Tsunade's eyes flashed. "So you think you could take our champion?"

Iruka gave himself a very good chance against Tenten. Tenten would hesitate. He would not. Experience mattered. However, there was no reason to take that risk. "In a queen to queen challenge," Iruka clarified.

Suzume blanched.

Iruka was losing patience. "I formally issue a queen to queen challenge from the crew of the Oak to the crew of the Silver Leaf for their cat," he declared. He slipped off his jacket and handed it to Anko who, like the others, was wide-eyed and staring. His hand went towards his knife.

"Hold!" Tsunade shouted. "Damn it, Iruka, what has got into you?"

"Count of ten," Iruka warned. "One, two, three…"

"I yield," Suzume squeaked. "Take her."

Iruka took his jacket back from Anko. "Is there anything else you need from the Silver Leaf, Tayuya-kun?"

Tayuya shook her head. "No, Iruka-sensei."

He bowed to Tsunade and then to the others, "May the Lady give you a safe and productive journey. Temari-san, I wish you all the best with your endeavour." Then he turned and left the bay with Tayuya following.

"What the Lady was that about?" Tsunade growled.

Iruka took Tayuya back to the crew room. The room adjacent to the one he shared with Kakashi was unoccupied.

"This will be your room, Tayuya-kun," he said. "Unpack. I will get you some bedclothes. What is your favourite colour?"

Tayuya looked up at him, "Pink, Iruka-sensei," she replied.

Iruka was uncertain that they had a bedcover in pink, but he would at least look for one. He considered asking Haku but decided that would be unwise.

He had found a bedcover with some pink in the pattern and was heading back to Tayuya's room when Kakashi stood in his path.

"Tell me it isn't true," he demanded.

Iruka flushed.

"Damn it, Ir-chan, you challenged them. That means she's ours. You didn't even ask, never mind consult."

Iruka signalled the open door to Tayuya's room with his eyes and glared at him.

Kakashi sighed. He took the bedcover from Iruka, stepped into Tayuya's room and placed it on the bed.

"Make up your bed, Tayuya-kun," he told her. "Then stay in here and…." He cast about for something, anything. "…meditate. Yes, meditate." He withdrew from the room and slid the door closed. He then pointed to Iruka and then to their room. "You, in there, now."

Kakashi was at a loss. It was completely out of character for Iruka to be so impulsive, or selfish, or thoughtless, or whatever had got into him. He began thinking about the consequences: a female cat, Sumaru, Tayuya's behaviour, Haku, particularly Haku. Kakashi ruthlessly cut off the line of thought. He could not afford to become any more annoyed. The urge to shake Iruka, or even spank him, was already too strong. He had an image of tossing Iruka into Tayuya's punishment room and locking the door. It was tempting.

"What possessed you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Iruka would not look at him. "They don't care about her," he admitted.

"That's because she's a monster," Kakashi reminded him. "Look what she did. You had just told Tsunade how much better she had been and she made you look like an idiot by smashing up their galley." He stopped, reconsidering what Iruka had said. "You care about her," he stated. "By the Lady, Ir-chan, why? She isn't worth it. She really, really isn't worth it."

"She trusts me," Iruka told him.

"She has a funny way of showing it," Kakashi retorted. "Damn it. It's done. I know it is done. They love you. They will forgive you, eventually. Except Haku. Haku will never forgive you."

"And you?" Iruka asked, finally looking at him.

Kakashi sighed. "I have done worse to you. I know that. I tricked you into taking Sasuke. I lied to you for over six standards about who I was and what I was doing." He took a deep breath. "I forgive you, Ir-chan. Now, let's go and face the others."

He opened the door for Iruka and walked after his towards the reception waiting for them in the galley.

Gaara, Shikamaru and Naruto were keen to test the controller and had agreed to meet just after the Silver Leaf was due to leave. They eyed each other. None of them were sure that Naruto could cope if Gaara lost control. Naruto was worried about Gaara attacking Shikamaru.

Gaara had the controller around his neck. He had put it on while on his ship.

"To test it, you have to lose control," Shikamaru reminded him. "We thought that we would lock you in the little room."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly. He remembered the panic he had felt when he had come out of hibernation and found the door locked. That time the door had been locked from his side. This time it would be locked on the other side.

Shikamaru was pointing. "That way," he said, "Hurry up," he insisted, knowing that an order from a weaker male would fuel Gaara's agitation.

Gaara did not even get over the threshold. His control broke and he turned, snarling, to tear out Shikamaru's throat. Naruto's arm came between them but instead of sweeping Gaara aside it caught him as he collapsed and lowered him to the floor.

Shikamaru swallowed. He prodded Gaara's unconscious body with his foot. He had been almost certain that the controller would work.

The fear had only lasted for a moment; it had evoked unpleasant memories but had not sent his body into spasms of terror as when Naruto had attacked him. Na-chan's long arms enfolded him and held him. It felt good; it chased the shadow away.

Naruto held Shi-chan until he smelt right and his breathing was steady. Then he picked Gaara up. Naruto carried him into the ship and placed him in his chair.

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged smiles and settled down to wait.

Gaara regained consciousness, saw others in his ship looking at him, lost control, snarled and fell unconscious. This happened twice before he managed to stay in control.

"That will be useful data," Shikamaru told him approvingly. "Thank you."

Gaara stared at him. "You are aggravating," he complained.

"Yes," Shikamaru replied. "I agree. Now, what else do you want to try? Sparring with Naruto? Looking at porno? Listening to music?"

"Sleeping," Gaara admitted.

They stared at him.

"You do not sleep?" Naruto queried.

"I lose control when I dream," Gaara told them. "I will be alone now." He considered. "Thank you."

Tayuya had cracked open her door so that she could eavesdrop on the row in the galley. Every time someone new arrived it would start again. Haku's voice had been particularly clear because he had been yelling. Iruka-sensei was letting them harangue him, as if it was his punishment and he deserved it. Occasionally Kakashi would intervene but only a little. From what Tayuya had seen earlier, she guessed Kakashi also thought Iruka-sensei deserved to be punished.

Suddenly, there was someone looking in through the crack. She jumped back. It was Naruto. He slid the door further open and looked at her. Beyond him she saw Shikamaru continuing through the crew room towards the galley.

"You still here, Tayuya-kun?" he asked. He studied the room. "Are you staying?"

She nodded. Shikamaru had reached the galley. She could hear the upsurge of competing voices as they told him. "Iruka-sensei challenged for me," she explained.

Naruto's brows went up and his whiskers twitched. "Why did he do that, Tayuya-kun?" he queried.

"I am not sure," she admitted.

Naruto cocked his head slightly and waited.

"I didn't want to go," Tayuya told him. "Iruka-sensei knows they don't care about me. He knew you would never agree to take me."

Naruto was not pleased that Tayuya was now their cat but he was certain that Iruka-sensei's judgement was sound. He did not like the sounds coming from the galley. He nodded to Tayuya and slid the door back to its previous position. Then he started towards the galley. He could not hear Sasuke or smell him. He hoped he was correct and Sasuke was not there. If Sasuke was there and had not stopped it, Naruto was going to be cross with him. He was already cross with Kakashi.

He ignored what people said to him as he entered. Sasuke was not there. Naruto was relieved.

Iruka-sensei was pale. He was obviously upset. Naruto leaned over and kissed him on the cheek in greeting as he always did but then sat beside him. Most of the voices died, their owners confused by Naruto's behaviour.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," he said. "Thank you and Kakashi-sensei for not throwing me out once you knew I was a monster. Thank you for believing in me and helping me become who I am now. If you see something in Tayuya-kun, then that is enough for me to accept her."

There was silence. Iruka took his hand and squeezed it. Naruto could see tears in his eyes.

Haku sniffed. "I am making tea," he announced. "Who wants some?"

Sasuke entered a few minutes later. "What's happening?" he asked.

"Tayuya-kun is going to cat for us," Naruto told him.

Sasuke shrugged. "I can't see she can be any worse than I was as cat," he said as he sat down at the table.

"You already knew," Naruto observed once they were alone in their room.

"Tsunade-san contacted me from the Silver Leaf, partly to complain about the challenge but mostly to tell me that Iruka-sensei had gone completely insane," Sasuke confirmed. "I guessed that it wouldn't be his most popular decision. When I saw him hanging onto your hand like that and you looking all protective, I thought I would try to help."

Naruto hugged him. "I love you. You are going to be an awesome father."

Sasuke kissed him. "I love you too, dobe."


	62. Inari

Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them greatly. It is very encouraging to hear from readers.

This chapter may appear to be an aside but, I assure you, it is necessary for the plot later. I hope that you enjoy it.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable._

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* * *

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62. Inari**

* * *

Inari sat outside his grandfather's office. He could not hear what those inside were saying but the tone of their voices indicated that the conversation was the same as the many that had gone before it: threats of destruction or violence from the goons and soft reassurance from Tazuna-san. His arms tightened into fists. He wished he were strong enough to beat Gato's goons to a pulp.

The scraping of a chair, footsteps and the door was opening.

"Another five days," the smaller of the goons said. "The brat is gone by then or we'll make sure of it. Word is his arse is still virgin. Slavers pay well for a virgin arse."

He hated the fact that they could frighten him. He loathed that they used him against his grandfather. He felt guilty that his grandfather had made promises to Gato in return for Inari being exiled rather than killed. He refused to be sorry for managing to kill five of Gato's goons.

Now they were threatening retaliation because his would-be spacer crew had been delayed.

"Inari!" his grandfather called.

He slunk into the office.

His grandfather sighed. "I told you to stay in the shipyard, Ina-kun. You went into town. They saw you. You reminded them that you are still here."

He had wanted to see his friends.

"I am sorry, Grandfather," he admitted. "Do you think they will be here within the five days?"

"Yes, they jumped into the system this morning. I saw no reason to share that with Gato. They will be dropping tomorrow. They have obtained permission to land on the pad within the yard."

Inari was surprised. Bribing officials to control who was allowed to drop and lift from the yard was one of the ways Gato made his grandfather's life difficult. He was about to ask more questions when he spotted the sparkle in his grandfather's eyes. The old man was up to something.

"Grandfather?" he queried.

"Tomorrow, Ina-kun, tomorrow," his grandfather promised.

* * *

Whatever Inari had imagined the morrow would bring, it was not a magnificent battleship in full Uchiha livery landing in their shipyard.

"I sent him your application video, Ina-kun," his grandfather informed him with great pride. "He has come all the way from Tarrasade for you."

Inari heart was beating so hard he was sure he could hear it: the Last Uchiha and his Companion, Naruto. He was suddenly pleased that he was wearing his best clothes and that his grandfather had summoned his mother.

"For me?" he queried.

"For you, Ina-kun," his grandfather confirmed.

He was living a boy's best fantasy. Naruto was a thousand times more impressive in the flesh than in the holos and he was accompanied by the legendary sharkman, Kisame. Uchiha-sama was being charming to his mother, who looked on the verge of fainting. Kakashi-san, the captain, was speaking with his grandfather.

"My name is Iruka," someone said from behind him and to the right. "I am queen of this crew and I manage the Uchiha household. It is a pleasure to meet you, Inari-kun."

Inari spun about and found himself facing an ordinary-looking man with steady dark eyes and a Hyuga. He was sure it was a Hyuga. He bowed. "It is an honour, Iruka-san."

"This is Neji-san, a member of our crew," Iruka told him.

Inari bowed again and the Hyuga bowed in return. His heart started to hammer again. He was about to be interrogated. If he lied, they might lift without him. His grandfather would be so disappointed if they lifted without him. He would end up whoring for slavers if they lifted without him.

"And how long have you wanted to space, Inari-kun?" Iruka asked.

"Not long," he admitted before thinking how badly that sounded. "I mean, every boy dreams about spacing, but I thought I would stay here and take over the shipyard when grandfather retired, Iruka-san."

Iruka frowned. "So what has caused this change in plan?" he asked.

Inari told himself that lying in front of a Hyuga was a very bad idea. He took a deep breath. "Grandfather always said I did not have to stay and, well, things are difficult here."

"In what way difficult?" Iruka pressed.

Inari shut his eyes to build courage and then took the plunge. "I have to leave, Iruka-san. I annoyed the head of the local crime syndicate. I have three more days to leave the planet or they will take me and sell me to slavers."

Iruka gaze was steady. "This was not in your application video, Inari-kun," he reminded him.

Inari could feel himself blushing. "The, uh, incident that lead to the, er, ultimatum had not happened when I recorded the video, Iruka-san."

"Incident?" Iruka queried.

"Five of the goons had this thing for children." Inari's embarrassment was replaced by anger. "They would pick up a child and play with him until he broke. I tricked them into going into an abandoned building and blew it up."

To his amazement Iruka smiled at him. "How enterprising of you, Inari-kun. I am very impressed."

Inari's head swam a little. Iruka sounded like a schoolteacher praising a particularly inventive vacation project. It was surreal.

Then, unexpectedly, the visitors began grouping around his grandfather, whose previous expression of proud benevolence had been replaced by one of agitation. When Iruka and Neji excused themselves to join them, Inari sidled around the periphery of the room to his mother's side. He looked at her anxiously.

"They do not have an Engineer," Tsunami told him. "They have a Mulligan drive and no Engineer."

Inari winced. He could imagine his grandfather's reaction to that. He studied Uchiha-sama and watched his naturally pale skin turning an interesting shade of grey-green; it would appear that Tazuna-san was telling them his most extreme horror story about a crew stranded in an ungated system. Uchiha-sama and his crewmates must have strong stomachs; usually people threw up. His grandfather reached the final twist in the tale; Naruto-san's blue eyes went completely circular and one of the others detached himself from the group and bolted for the bathroom. Have ensured their undivided attention, Tazuna-san proceeded to list the reasons that any sane crew spaced with an Engineer. Inari did not need to be within earshot, he could recite them he had heard them so often.

"He'll tell them to go to Wave VI," his mother was saying.

That made sense to Inari. His grandfather had trained many excellent engineers but Izumo and Kotetsu were undeniably the best; always working as a pair gave them an advantage over any individual. Whether they could be persuaded to space was another matter; they had not even wanted to leave the shipyard, but one of Gato's henchmen had taken a fancy to Kotetsu, Izumo had reacted and flight had become prudent. They had moved to the Wave VI space station, where they were earning ridiculously large amounts of credit and having to spend most of it just in order to survive; everything in the space station cost a hundred times more than it did on Wave II.

It would appear that Uchiha-sama had promised to recruit an Engineer because Tazuna-san had relaxed and was suggesting tea.

Then, too soon, they were talking about lifting. His mother hugged him fiercely and told him to remember his father and his stepfather, because then he would always behave honourably. His grandfather spoke of how proud he was to be sending Inari into space as their representative. Inari put aside his adolescent reserve and told them that he loved them. He then slung his bags across this shoulders and stepped out towards the Sakura.

* * *

By mid afternoon he was on their mother ship, the Oak, sitting in the galley opposite Iruka-san. He very much liked his room, which was a luxury he had not anticipated. He almost had who was who sorted. Konohamaru, one of the other cats, had taken him on a tour of the ship. He had begun to feel settled, but now Iruka-san was talking about sex and Inari did not know what to say or where to look.

"Cats are expected to cat, Inari-kun," he was saying.

Inari knew that, but knowing was very different to doing.

"We are not a Traditional crew," Iruka-san admitted. "Although, any member of the crew is permitted to be intimate with any other member, the truth is that many of us have chosen partners. At this time, there are relatively few crewmembers who are not in an ongoing relationship and they are best left to Haku, who has the experience required to give them what they need. This means, Inari-kun, that I will not be creating a list for you at this time. I suggest that you familiarise yourself with the e-machine in your room and consider your options. If you wish to develop some experience, ask Kono-kun. I am sure he will be more than happy to assist." There was a pause. "Inari-kun?"

Inari looked at him, wishing he were not blushing so fiercely. "Yes, Iruka-san?"

"If anyone suggests fucking and you feel in the least bit uncomfortable about it, do not hesitate to say no. You may also come to me at any time for advice."

"Thank you, Iruka-san," Inari replied.

Inari was glad that Iruka-san had spoken to him, however embarrassing it had been, because it prepared him for Konohamaru's proposition, which came the next day. For Inari, who had only groped other boys and the occasional girl, gaining some experience seemed an excellent idea. He soon decided that he liked Konohamaru's attitude to fucking; Kono-kun asked Inari what he wanted to do and then helped him do it without pushing for more. It was fun.

"What about Tayuya-kun?" Inari asked as they sat side by side on Inari's bed after cleaning up the happy mess they had made.

Konohamaru looked at him in horror. "Don't try offering her your prick, she'll probably cut it off and hand it back to you."

"So she is off limits?" Inari checked.

"No, she's Tayuya." Konohamaru struggled to find the words. "She's unpredictable and vicious and takes offence if you look at her wrong."

"She's pretty," Inari observed.

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. "You are insane," he insisted. "You should find out if Rin-san can regrow your penis first," he added. "We can check tomorrow."

* * *

They reached Wave VI within two days. Sasuke-sama had suggested that Inari accompany them to their meeting with Izumo and Kotetsu. This had meant being fitted for a uniform and a long lecture from Iruka-san on appropriate behaviour for a cat in public.

They met in one of the bars, which was where most spacers conducted their business. Izumo and Kotetsu looked the same as always; sitting thigh to thigh with Kotetsu doing all the talking and Izumo doing most of the listening.

"It is an honour that you should ask us, Uchiha-sama," Izumo said once Sasuke had finished making his case, "but we do not wish to space."

"We have a Mark IX Hokstein Mulligan drive," Inari told them.

Kotetsu looked as if he might cum in his pants.

Sasuke-sama was quick to follow up. "Perhaps you would like to look about the ships," he suggested. "With no prior commitment."

Izumo took in Kotetsu's pleading eyes. "Very well. But we are only looking, Uchiha-sama. We will be at the dock this afternoon, a hundred minutes after midday."

Sasuke grilled Inari on their way back to the ship.

"What can I offer them to persuade them to sign on?" he asked.

Inari considered. "They won't want to live in the crew room. They would prefer their own place. Kotetsu likes plants so Izumo likes growing them for him. If you could offer them somewhere to have a garden that would be good. They don't have that on the space station." A thought crept into Inari's mind. He knew what they really wanted and, if what Konohamaru had told him was true, Sasuke-sama might be able to give it to them. "They want a baby. It the only thing they argue about. They know they will never be able to afford a male-male parenting. Kotetsu's solution is to adopt. Izumo wants them to buy an egg and for Kotetsu to be the father."

Sasuke considered. "Is their relationship stable? Will they make good parents?"

Inari was impressed that Sasuke-sama put that above getting his Engineer. "They met at elementary school. They've been lovers forever. Yes, they will make wonderful parents."

* * *

For Kotetsu the drives would have been enough and Inari could tell that Izumo was convinced by the time they had seen the apartment. He was sure that Neji-san had told Sasuke-sama that the deal was done, so it was nice of him to mention the baby.

"Inari-kun tells me you are planning a family," he stated.

Izumo scowled at Inari.

"Naruto and I have three babies gestating at this time," Sasuke continued, "and one of the other couples have three children. It will be fine if you decide to raise children while you are with us. Perhaps we would be able to share some of the childcare."

"That is kind of you, Sasuke-sama, but…" Izumo began.

Sasuke carried on as if Izumo had not spoken. "Rin-san, our medico, has the very latest conception, optimisation and gestation technology. You would, of course, as members of our crew, be welcome to take full advantage of it."

"How do we sign on?" Kotetsu said immediately.

"But…" Izumo was struggling to take it all in.

"No buts. Can we speak with Rin-san now?" Kotetsu asked.

* * *

Inari could feel Konohamaru's eyes on him. It had been ten days since Iruka-san had introduced all four of them to the Performance Tracker and this was the first time they would see scores. Tayuya appeared not to care, Sumaru did not care and Konohamaru cared greatly. Inari would only care if it caused problems between him and Kono-kun.

Relief: Konohamaru was well in the lead with Inari second and not much between Tayuya and Sumaru. Inari used the pointer to investigate the composition of his score. For him the most interesting aspect of the Performance Tracker was that it told him what skills Iruka-san regarded as important.

It was a few minutes before he realised that Kakashi-san was watching him. This had happened on occasion since Inari had joined the crew and continued to do so over the next two days. On the third day Kakashi was sitting at the table in the galley. He was alone. The galley was empty. Inari took one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table.

"You will surpass Konohamaru," Kakashi warned him. "He is excellently trained, but your potential is much higher. I will work with both of you, but it is you who truly interests me."

"What about Tayuya?" Inari asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I have no interest in Tayuya. She is Iruka's project. You are mine. The latest in a line of four: Iruka, Shikamaru, Sasuke, now you."

Inari looked at him, "Perhaps all I wish to be is an Engineer."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, that is not enough for you. If that were enough your grandfather would not have sent us your video. If that were enough you would have stayed out of trouble on Wave II."

"And what do you see me becoming?" Inari asked.

Kakashi considered and then decided to tell him. "You will be one of Sasuke's lieutenants, Inari-san. As Uchiha grows there will be more than one crew. You will be one of those who will take decisions on his behalf and act in his place."

* * *

Inari lay on his bed thinking. He thought of what Kakashi had told him and Kakashi's reasons for telling him. He imagined himself acting on Sasuke's behalf, surrounded by his own crew, carrying out missions for Uchiha. Perhaps Sasuke and Naruto would trust one of their sons to him as cat, or maybe even their daughter. Maybe he would be able to manage Kono-kun's disappointment when Inari surpassed him so that Konohamaru would be still be with him. Perhaps Tayuya would have grown into a magnificent, fiery woman, like Anko-san but more so, who would occasionally deign to allow him to bed her.

Yes, he understood why Kakashi-san had told him. For Inari a Performance Tracker would never be enough. Inari needed a dream.


	63. Points of view

I am very grateful for the reviews. They help me keep going. This is a 'vignette' chapters. I hope you enjoy it.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment. I also confess to messing about with characters' relative ages in order to make the plot work. This (from my profile) may help:

Naruto (approximate) = Sasuke  
Shikamaru, Neji = Sasuke +3  
Shino = Sasuke +5  
Konohamaru, Tayuya and Inari = Sasuke -3  
Sumaru = Sasuke -5  
Itachi = Sasuke +10  
Haku = Sasuke -2  
Iruka = Sasuke +6  
Kakashi = Sasuke +18  
Gaara = Sasuke +2

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**63. ****Points of view**

* * *

Shikamaru was busy.

Later that day they would jump into the system where the Silver Leaf and the Gourd were waiting. Hopefully, Temari would have the credit they required, Tsunade would have secured the contracts for the gates and Gaara would have information about the current situation in Kaze.

His campaign against the Snuffers was gaining momentum. The new viruses for corrupting files in the data streams were satisfyingly selective. His database of Snuffers was growing; every few days another crew would pass the threshold of irrefutable evidence and he would publish their identity. Six crew had already been eliminated.

He had taken down Gato, the worm on Wave II who had been giving Inari's grandfather trouble. Communicating some choice information to the correct recipient had been enough. Gato was gone, along with most of his men. Tazuna-san was now known to be a friend of Uchiha; Shikamaru doubted he would have problems with men like Gato in the future.

Then there was Neji. No matter what, Shikamaru made time for Neji. They had run out of places to try fucking; Izumo had banned them from the engine rooms and Neji would not contemplate any of the really dangerous places, like Naruto's nursery, the elite fighters' communal bath or Asuma and Kurenai's bedroom. Shikamaru had been forced to move to plan B, which meant recreating his room every few days. Luckily he had Haku to help him. The latest theme had been a nomad's tent but yesterday they had changed it. He and Neji had agreed to meet and play a scene before the midday meal.

His strategy was working. Neji happily accepted blowjobs from his Shika. Shikamaru could touch Neji anywhere other than his hole. Next on Shikamaru's list was Neji sucking him and Shikamaru being allowed to move; so far it only worked if Shikamaru was completely still, which he found extremely difficult. Shikamaru was hopeful that the new scenario had potential.

He pulled his mind away from Neji and considered whether they were on schedule to use the first of the three dates. The most difficult part of the plan was getting the gates and their installation crews to the precise places at the correct times. For that they required ships.

With Izumo and Kotetsu in the crew, ships were no longer a limiting factor. The pair had rebuilt Kisame's ship and had helped Shino adapt its systems to the sharkman's abilities. They concurred with Shikamaru's plan to buy small ships and adapt them to be manned by pairs or trios of the elite fighters. They had even found time to supervise the cats and Sumaru stripping down and rebuilding the Snow Willow.

The only problem for Shikamaru was Kotetsu's desire to know how the improver worked. Shikamaru sympathised but they had promised not to pry and, even more crucially, the outer case of the improver was heavily trapped. Shikamaru did not want Kotetsu blowing himself up. Even if he did not take the rest of them with him, it would leave Izumo bereft and the baby without one of her parents.

For the first time, Shikamaru appreciated the apprehension Kakashi must have felt every time he had told Shikamaru to leave something alone. It was a novel sensation.

* * *

Naruto finished looking at Haru and moved onto Hoshi. Sasuke preferred to project the images but Naruto's eyes could cope with the direct, unenhanced feed. He talked to his daughter in a mixture of chirrups, words and yips. He ran his hand over the gestator, mimicking a mother caressing her abdomen.

Monitors picked up Naruto's heartbeat when he was in the nursery, so that it could be amplified and played to the babies. When he left the room the sounds were replaced by a recording. He hoped the babies never realised that he left them; he wanted them to be certain that they were loved.

After the meeting about Kaze they would jump to the system where the scientist's ship should be waiting. At first Naruto had been determined not to see the scientist but then Sasuke-teme had asked him if he wanted to look and feel like an old man before his babies were adults. Naruto had imagined his children being ashamed of him because he was obviously old and weak. Yes, he had admitted, he would take age retard treatments if they were available; that way he could make the most of his limited lifespan. Rin thought this scientist could help so Naruto would, reluctantly, meet him.

Naruto shook himself. He would see Gaara before the scientist. He was looking forward to seeing Gaara. They would have to be careful because Temari would be about, but Naruto hoped that Gaara would be able to wear the controller for some of the time. With luck, Shikamaru could come up with a reason for Gaara to stay when the Silver Leaf left.

* * *

Sasuke reread Shikamaru's analysis of their current situation. Thanks to Izumo and Kotetsu, they were ahead of schedule. Everything now hung on whether Temari had the credit and whether Tsunade had managed to negotiate a deal for the gates. If they had the gates, they could move forward and use the first of Shikamaru's three dates.

He sat back in his chair and considered. He was impressed by Inari. The lad was everything his application video had promised and more. Sasuke was even pleased that Kakashi was so interested in him. A few standards ago he would have been deeply jealous, as he had been when Kakashi-sensei had started training Naruto as a fighter. He smiled at the memory.

He checked the time. He could find Naruto well before the midmeal.

Naruto was, of course, in the nursery. He was viewing Hikaru and had activated the projector when he heard Sasuke coming. Sasuke looked at the tiny creature who was his son and was filled with pride. He leaned over Naruto, who was glued to the viewer, and kissed his neck. Naruto flexed to make the kiss easier and purred.

They both wanted to fuck. Being together with the babies often had that effect on them. They both knew there was not the time: Sasuke fucking Naruto was too likely to produce fluffy-soft-Naruto and Naruto fucking Sasuke risked them being stuck together when they were meant to be in the meeting. They would have to settle for a cuddle.

The thought of fluffy-soft-Naruto was particularly tempting. Sasuke went to book the bathroom for after the evening meal.

* * *

Ibiki was looking forward to seeing his old crew but he knew that Kakashi was going to give him a hard time; Jiraiya still teased him mercilessly. He straightened his spine. Sometimes a man had to do what a man had to do and this time it had been to put aside his machismo and become queen.

The crew had been dysfunctional. He had realised that when he first spaced with them but it had taken Iruka to challenge for Tayuya for him to decide something had to be done. Now it worked. Tsunade's drinking was back under control, Jiraiya did duties, Suzume was relieved to be free of a role she could not do and their timekeeping was perfect.

They had even recruited another cat, a lass called Moegi, who was happy and making good progress. It had been a very busy two divs and, despite his trepidation of others' reactions, Ibiki was very proud of what he had achieved. It was worth being ribbed by Kakashi.

And if he told himself that often enough he might come to believe it.

* * *

Gaara woke. It was so wonderful to wake. He stretched. His fingertips went to the controller. Today he should take it off, so that Temari did not realise he had broken their agreement. There were two problems with that. One, he did not want to take it off and, two, he was no longer sure if he could control himself; he had become accustomed to allowing himself to feel.

It was only Temari. There was no real danger in Temari knowing. Kankuro and his men were not coming to this meeting. Temari would not tell Kankuro. Temari might even choose to forgive him.

He sent a message to the Silver Leaf.

* * *

Neji was impressed. Shikamaru and Haku had managed to create a convincing shop. It helped that the bed and the rest of the furniture were long gone; except for his belongings in the lockers Shika had cleared the room to make scene-setting easier. There was a counter and rails bearing clothes. In one corner there was a changing area which was separated from the rest of the room by curtains. Neji had a quick look inside. There were mirrored walls and a chair. He flushed, immediately imagining what Shikamaru had in mind.

Neji caught sight of himself in one of the mirrors. Haku had dressed him in a men's grey kimono with a black belt, which was very suitable for a shop assistant. However, Neji's hair was up in a ponytail and he was wearing earrings with tiny bells. His face was subtly painted to make it look more feminine. His lips looked plump and pink. He had a badge that said, 'My name is Neji. How may I assist you?'.

He took up his place behind the counter. A bell rang. Neji jumped. Of course a bell rang when the door opened; it was meant to be a shop.

Shika's eyes lit up when he saw him. Haku's instincts were, as always, infallible.

* * *

Anko had watched Shikamaru and Haku work their butts off transforming Shikamaru's room for what had to be the twelfth time. She had offered to help and had been given the job of watching for Neji. If he appeared they would dive into the room and shut the door; Neji always moved slowly and made much noise on transformation days, so there was little doubt that Anko would realise he was on his way and give them plenty of warning.

Like the weird side of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship and Haku's cross dressing, Shikamaru's obsessions with fucking in public places and with scene playing never came up in conversation. In the end Anko could not resist asking Shino about it, despite knowing that there was history between him and Shikamaru. Shino had, very calmly, explained that Neji had been frigid when he had joined the crew and that this was part of Shikamaru's campaign to make their relationship work. He described everything Shikamaru had tried; building the database, celibacy, submission, fucking in inappropriate places and now playing scenes. He told her that Neji was reliving the horror of his past through therapy in the hope that he could respond.

He also explained the ring that Shikamaru wore on the chain about his neck. It had made her want to cry.

Later she had wondered why Shino had told her so much. Once she worked out the reason she had been ashamed. He had been rebuking her for being so impatient, for wanting to squeeze every drop out of their relationship immediately and for not being willing to let it grow slowly so that it would be truly sound.

Neji had looked particularly fetching once Haku had dressed him as a shop assistant. Anko had offered a small prayer to no particular deity that the scene would go well and was pleased when the two of them had appeared at the midday meal holding hands. They were obviously freshly from the shower; Shikamaru had his hair down because it still too wet to put up. They looked adorable together. Anko's hand found Shino's under the table. He looked at her with what she had learned to read as surprise; usually she would play footsie or grope him. She smiled and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. It was nice.

* * *

Tayuya scowled. Everyone in their crew room was obsessed with sex. Even Iruka-sensei melted into a puddle of goo when Kakashi touched him. As for Konohamaru, his life revolved about his prick. If he wasn't putting it into Haku he was getting Inari to play with it; not that Inari seemed to mind. Today Shikamaru and Neji wouldn't stop staring into each other's eyes during the midmeal. Shikamaru had his hair down, which he never did, and Tayuya couldn't help noticing how pretty he was, which was annoying.

She kicked Sumaru under the table. He scowled at her. She kicked again. He kicked back. She waited until Iruka-sensei was looking the other way and flicked a bean at him. It was a perfect hit, bouncing off his cheek. He retaliated and Iruka-sensei caught him. He was sent to his room. She smirked at him as he left the table. Then Iruka-sensei asked her if she had anything to tell him, so she ended up in her room as well.

At least it was her room, not the punishment room, so she had her flute.

* * *

Temari was suspicious as soon as she heard Gaara's message. It was not that he wanted a private meeting, that was to be expected, it was something in the tone of his voice. Maybe that was it; there was tone in his voice.

Spacing on the Silver Leaf had been much better than in the past because Ibiki had made everyone behave. She wondered if Ibiki could have coped with Tayuya but doubted it. Tayuya was better off with Iruka-san. Moegi might have less potential but she was much more amenable. Her presence made spacing more pleasant, which could never be said of Tayuya.

Their trip had been successful. The bank had been more than willing to lend her credit with a planet as security and once she had petacredits to spend the gaters had been pleased to deal; buying six gates made her their best client. Tsunade had concentrated on securing swift delivery and the services of the installation crews rather than reducing the cost. Temari tried not to think how many systems would deprived of their gate upgrade, but they could make the first of Shikamaru's dates with time to spare.

She went to meet Gaara as soon as they docked. As she had half expected, he was wearing one of Shikamaru's modified controllers. He was apologetic. They exchanged news. There were tiny flashes of a Gaara she hadn't seen since he was a little boy, before the consequences of him losing control had become lethal. Temari quizzed him on the controller. When she was satisfied that it was effective, she stepped into his personal space and hugged him.

He lost control, as she had known he would, but there was barely time for him to snarl before he lost consciousness. She slung him over her shoulder, took him into his ship and put him into his chair. She kissed his forehead. Then she went to find Shikamaru.

* * *

Shikamaru was on his way to the meeting room. He was with Neji, Sasuke and Naruto. They rounded a corner and he spotted Temari, alone, walking with purpose towards him. They stopped. He and Naruto exchanged glances. Shikamaru was sure that Temari had found out about Gaara's controller. He steeled himself for an attack.

She stopped about four paces from him. Then, to his astonishment, she knelt, leaned forward and pressed her forehead to the ground.

"I thank you, Shikamaru-san," she told him. "For returning my brother to me."


	64. Calm

I am very grateful for the reviews. They mean a great deal to me. Particular thanks to those readers who review regularly.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

******Any scenes considered too graphic have been replaced by oo*****oo**

* * *

**64. Calm**

* * *

The meeting to discuss the Kaze mission had gone well. They had decided to aim for the first date and had gone over every facet of the plan, allocating tasks and running simulations. Once no one could think of anything to add, they had decided to sleep on it and meet again the next day.

Naruto was keen to take Gaara to meet Kisame, which offered Sasuke the opportunity he needed to speak with Shikamaru. He waited. Naruto left with Gaara. Tsunade and her crewmembers left to move their things from the ship to the guest crew room. Kakashi vanished to tell Iruka about Ibiki's new role. Only Shikamaru and Neji were left and Sasuke decided that having Neji there was no bad thing.

"This scientist, Kabuto," Sasuke began. "Naruto has agreed to see him, but he is not happy about it."

Shikamaru considered. "It'll bring out the scientist in Rin," he warned. "She'll forget about being a medico. Naruto will end up being treated like specimen."

"I recommend that you insist on always being there when he is with them, Sasuke-sama," Neji added.

Sasuke had not thought of going that far but added it to his plan.

"And make sure this Kabuto has been seen by Neji and has impressed me and Rin before you let him anywhere near Na-chan," Shikamaru insisted.

It was good to know that they were so protective of Naruto. Between them they decided on a plan for Kabuto's visit that Sasuke would present as a fait accompli to Rin.

* * *

Kisame watched as Naruto laid Gaara on a convenient surface to recover consciousness for the second time.

"I understand his sister's concern," Kisame commented. "Fainting at the least stimulus is hardly compatible with the terrifying leader who slaughters those who irritate him."

Naruto decided not to argue the difference between being knocked out by the controller and fainting. He had thought that Shikamaru might have Gaara's controller set wrongly, but the rage on Gaara's face just before he collapsed had confirmed that he had been berserk.

"He has been avoiding stimulation to prevent an emotional response since he was a child?" Kisame asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Then perhaps it is lack of experience. Being with us here, where he can risk interacting with others, may be what he needs," the sharkman suggested.

"He can't stay," Naruto replied sorrowfully. "He has to prepare to lead the attack on the slavers."

Kisame chuckled. "Without his controller, I assume."

Naruto could not help but smile at the image of Gaara passing out every few minutes as he tried to lead an attack. He watched as Kisame put out a hand and stroked Gaara's smooth cheek.

"He is… …compelling," the sharkman admitted. "Strange enough not to be purebred but with no visible characteristics of his animal genes. I am obviously shark. You have your whiskers and teeth and there is the texture of your hair. He is?"

"Tanuki," Naruto supplied. "Another canine, like the fox and the wolf. The dark rings around his eyes and his ability to hibernate are species characteristics." He risked fingering Gaara's hair. "This does not feel human," he observed.

At that moment Gaara's eyes opened. Confusion gave way to fear and then rage before he lapsed again into unconsciousness.

"Perhaps we were a little close," Kisame said with a smile.

* * *

Inviting everyone to the evening meal had been a good idea, but meals in the dining hall had a tendency to take on a life of their own. Sasuke had been forced into the role of host, the meal took twice as long as usual and then there had to be singing and dancing. Sasuke was glad that Gaara had declined to attend, otherwise it would have been impossible to persuade Naruto to leave.

Naruto was finishing his second spell of dancing. Sasuke packed up his lute and stood up. It was not as if they would be first to leave; Asuma and Kurenai had left after the meal, followed closely by Izumo and Kotetsu and then Shikamaru and Neji. He caught Naruto's hand and Iruka's eye. Iruka nodded his agreement.

"We can't sneak off, teme," Naruto objected. "They need you to play."

"They've got Tayuya and Tenten," Sasuke countered. "Bathroom," he whispered.

Naruto flushed and stopped objecting.

Sasuke stowed his lute and found everything they would need while Naruto checked the babies. They then headed for the bathroom.

It was occupied.

"I booked it!" Sasuke hissed, looking like he was ready to break down the door.

Naruto pulled him away. "We are late. They probably thought we weren't coming."

It had to be Shikamaru and Neji; they were the only ones who had left the dining hall before them. Sasuke had no doubt whose idea it had been; Shikamaru would pay. "One of the other bathrooms?" Sasuke suggested.

Naruto's smile was forced and his eyes looked anxious. "If you want to," he agreed.

Sasuke felt bad; using one of the other bathrooms risked exposing fluffy-soft-Naruto as they returned to their room. He pulled Naruto to him for a hug. "I am sorry, sweetheart," he assured him. "I wasn't thinking. Let's go back to our room."

Naruto looked grateful, which made Sasuke feel even worse.

After that nothing went right.

Naruto ended up apologising for not agreeing to use one of the other bathrooms and Sasuke woke up to the fact that he was being an egocentric, insensitive bastard. He gathered Naruto to him and hugged him.

"I love you, dobe. You have nothing to apologise for. You know how I am, I hate it when I don't get things right. Getting the fucking right has always been my job and I've made a mess of it this time. Maybe we should just skip to your bit. We both always enjoy that."

Naruto rewarded him with a smile. "No, I will do your bit instead," he said.

Sasuke waited, slightly worried what Naruto might mean.

"I will decide what we are going to do," Naruto explained.

Sasuke watched as Naruto opened the door of the shower and then the door between the shower and their bedroom. He found towels and placed them on the floor outside the shower. He then sat on the bed.

"You will put a show on for me in the shower," he told Sasuke. "I expect it to be a very good show, to make up for all the times you are a teme. I will give you a score out of ten every few minutes. If you get enough tens you can have a reward."

This was new; Sasuke wondered if Naruto had been talking sex-stuff with Shikamaru. "How many tens is enough?" he asked.

Naruto made a dismissive gesture. "I have yet to decide," he admitted.

"What if the show is too good?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's eyes lit up. He gave a smile that displayed his fangs. "That is a possibility," he admitted.

******oo*****oo**

It was only a short distance into the den Naruto had built. Sasuke was stronger than he looked and Naruto, despite his great strength, was not heavily built. Sasuke gently placed fluffy-soft-Naruto on the platform amongst the gestators and the pillows. Naruto moved to curl around the nearest gestator. Sasuke slid into position behind him and snuggled close. He stroked Naruto and felt him purr. There was no need for more fucking. This was better than fucking.

This was everything Sasuke could ever imagine wanting.


	65. Kabuto

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**_

* * *

_**

Author's note

**_Thanks to those who have left reviews, particularly readers like M_****_ileryn, who reviews regularly, and nosignofslowingdown, kaname-luvr and Iggy who have left multiple reviews._**

**_It is quite a commitment to update daily so it is really nice to know that there are people out there who are enjoying the story._**

**_In other words, it would be good to hear from more of you!_**

* * *

_Extract from Chapter 41 – The interview_

Kabuto maintained the pretence of slightly amused tolerance. He had seen the consequences of showing weakness. No one, not even him, was so useful that Orochimaru would not kill him, or worse, on a whim.

This obsession was worrying. Orochimaru had every available holographic moving image of the hybrid spliced together into a constantly running loop. The live interview had made it a thousand times worse. As soon as he had seen it, Orochimaru had gone to the lab and terminated every hybrid, no matter the stage of its development or the success of the experiment. Decades of work lost.

Kabuto remembered Amachi him telling about when Orochimaru had been obsessed by the sharkman. This was worse. Of course it was worse, the fox hybrid was so impossibly perfect.

* * *

**65. ****Kabuto**

* * *

Kabuto pictured the scene as he presented Orochimaru with a bound and helpless fox-human hybrid.

He imagined Orochimaru's reaction. Would he be grateful? Impressed? Kabuto doubted it. He would be too hungry for his prize to care that Kabuto had brought it. Maybe afterwards, when he had sated his desires. Maybe then he would remember that it was Kabuto who had fed his obsession and fulfilled his fantasy.

Or not.

Not that arriving on Jewel with the hybrid was likely.

Kabuto reviewed his mission objectives.

_One, capture the hybrid or, if this proves impossible, bait a future trap for the hybrid._

_Two, obtain a tissue sample from the hybrid._

_Three, do nothing that leads to the hybrid's death._

He imagined telling Orochimaru that the fox-human hybrid was dead and shuddered; he would be pronouncing his own death sentence.

First he had to survive the scrutiny of the Uchiha and his underlings. It had been satisfying to discover the Uchiha's weakness; he was as obsessed with the fox-human hybrid as was Orochimaru. It tainted his judgement. It had opened the door for Kabuto to enter. It gave Kabuto leverage. He could manage the Uchiha.

His underlings might prove more difficult.

Hyugas were always a problem. Killing them was his solution of choice but in this case that would not be possible. He would have to bury his true intentions under layer after layer of misdirection. The Hyuga could dislike him or consider him unsound. All that mattered was that he did not judge him to be a threat.

The woman would be easier. The women were always easier and women scientists were easier than most. He would show that he appreciated her first as a scientist and then as a woman.

There would be others. This was Uchiha. He must be prepared for quality opposition.

He reviewed his plan. Everything was in place. That which must remain hidden was undetectable.

He studied his image: deceptively simple clothes that were expensive enough to suggest vanity, no knife so that spacers would dismiss him as weak, the round eye glasses with their dual message of affectation and harmlessness. He would need to control how he moved; the ship would be saturated with fighters who would be too quick to recognise his skills.

Their ship jumped into the system through an ungated hole. It was not the one he had been watching but rather an unmapped hole closer to the gate. He made note. He must not be trapped in a system with no hole he could find.

Events developed swiftly. Soon he was in a docking bay facing four individuals: the woman, Rin, the Hyuga, Neji, a Uchiha elite fighter, Kakashi, and a young man with a Uchiha duty ring on his finger, Shikamaru.

The opposition was, as he had anticipated, of the highest quality. He did not know what Shikamaru was but, after his second question, Kabuto knew he was dangerous.

* * *

"Well?" Sasuke asked when the scientist had been escorted back to his ship.

They all looked to Neji.

"Despite his exaggerated politeness, he is rather unpleasant," Neji told them. "He is interested in himself, his work and his reputation as a scientist. He manages to be both obsequious and patronising to Rin-san, which is interesting but repellent." He considered. "We would not choose to cooperate with him if there was an alternative but there is not. I saw nothing that suggested he was dangerous but one can never be sure. He can only be trusted to act in his own self-interest, but he will give much for the privilege of examining Naruto-san."

Sasuke looked to Rin.

"I agree with Neji that he is a little creepy," she admitted, "but he has already given me two strong leads for adapting specific age-retard treatments for Naruto-san. He is very knowledgeable about adapting human-specific treatments for hybrids. He is an exceptionally able scientist."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke queried.

"He was almost too relaxed about us expecting him to stay on his ship with the docking bay depressurised," Kakashi observed.

"Shika-san?"

Shikamaru raised a brow at Sasuke using Shino's name for him. "I agree with Rin-san that he knows his stuff. I also agree with Neji that he is not worthy of our trust." He frowned. "He mentioned that he has a laboratory on his ship, which may explain his willingness to stay there." He turned to Rin. "Was what he told you that useful?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"Then I think we should move to next stage and Rin-san should show him her data on Naruto," Shikamaru suggested.

Sasuke nodded.

* * *

Kabuto assumed he had passed their test as he was left alone in the infirmary with the woman the next day. He immediately toned down the more obnoxious aspects of the character he had chosen to play and concentrated on persuading the woman to open up to him.

For a medico who dabbled in science, her research was remarkably sound. He employed every technique to tempt, tease or trick her into talking in depth about her work.

She was resistant to his attempts but not immune to them. While avoiding talking about the fox-human hybrid, she had inadvertently veered into telling him about the symbiote carried by the warrior woman. It was fascinating; Kabuto added obtaining a sample to his list of desirables.

Then, shockingly, he saw Kisame, the sharkman, vanishing into one of the side rooms.

The woman startled and excused herself. She entered the same side room.

Was it Kisame? Could there be another shark-human hybrid with a Uchiha plaque embedded in his forehead? What was he doing on the younger Uchiha's ship when he had helped his elder brother slaughter his clan?

Rin reappeared and took him into one of the smaller laboratories to view some test results. Kabuto forced himself to pay attention and show interest as if he did not realise he was being kept away while the sharkman made his exit.

The sharkman was more than a desirable; he was worthy of being an objective.

* * *

Rin had decided that Kabuto had not spotted Kisame. If he had seen him, he would have said something. For someone so interested in hybrids, Kisame would be irresistible.

Discussing her work with Kabuto-san had been exciting. He had been generous with his insights. For the first time, Rin believed that she might be able to slow down the effects of aging on Naruto. She was pleased to have so much progress to report to Sasuke after Kakashi had escorted Kabuto back to his ship.

She had no hesitation in recommending that they proceed with the examination.

Sasuke was pleased. They were striking a balance between taking advantage of the scientist's expertise and the risk of trusting him. In addition, Rin was being uncharacteristically positive about possible treatments for Naruto. He went to find his dobe and found him in his gun turret.

Naruto looked at him and waited.

"Please will you see the scientist tomorrow?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "Tomorrow," he agreed, "but he is not allowed to prod or poke me."

Sasuke had no intention of allowing the smarmy stranger lay a finger on his Naruto. He put his arms about Naruto's waist and hugged him.

* * *

Rin was distracted preparing for the hybrid's arrival. It gave Kabuto the moment he required to check the side room. Inside was a body in a tank; Itachi Uchiha.

He swiftly returned to the neutral territory of the corridor.

The fox-human hybrid was even more impressive in the flesh; a truly incredible example of genetic engineering and controlled gene expression. Kabuto noticed that the Uchiha did not leave his side. He actually held the hybrid's hand. They wore rings on their heart fingers. Kabuto could not decide if it was admirable or pathetic.

"I know of no one who can engineer a hybrid of your quality, Naruto-san," Kabuto told him, careful to address the hybrid as a person in order to avoid offending the Uchiha. "Do you have no idea where you came from?"

The hybrid shook his head.

"If you have personal questions you will write them down for Naruto-san to consider after the examination," the Uchiha told him.

Kabuto acquiesced with a bow. "There is a possibility that we should consider," he continued. "It is possible that Naruto-san was engineered long ago and was placed in cryogenic suspension as a foetus. The ancient hybrid engineers were renowned for marking their work. Do you have a ultraviolet light source, Rin-san?"

There, on the hybrid's belly, about his navel, glowing under the ultraviolet illumination, was a large and complex rosette. It was perfect, confirming that the gene expression within the hybrid's cells was exactly as the creator had intended.

It was one of the best moments of Kabuto's life; a wish fulfilled.

He steadied himself. "This is the mark, Naruto-san," he said calmly. You were created over a thousand years ago by a famous hybrid engineer we only know as Bara. Creating a successful hybrid is not just about including the correct genes, it is about controlling which of those genes are expressed. This is this aspect, the epigenetics, in which Bara was such a master."

"How does this matter to Naruto-san?" the Uchiha asked.

"A little is known about Bara's way of working. Perhaps more can be discovered now you know in which direction to look," he replied. Kabuto decided to stir. "Also, there are stories about Bara's hybrids, which may prove to have grains of truth in them and be worthy of consideration."

"What stories?" the hybrid asked.

"I do not wish to offend, Naruto-san, Uchiha-sama," Kabuto replied. "Maybe it would be better if you read them for yourselves."

"Give us a flavour," the Uchiha growled.

"Some hybrid engineers specialised in mass production, for example a battalion of soldiers. Others, like Bara, specialised in unique creations, often tailored to a single person's requirements. This may account for some of Naruto-san's exceptional qualities," Kabuto suggested.

The Uchiha accepted that. Perhaps many of the fox-human hybrid's qualities were, indeed, exceptional. He was, for example, utterly compelling to look at; a very suitable addition to a rich man's household. And there was the way he looked at the Uchiha, as if he was the most important person in known space; a man would pay a great amount for that level of devotion.

"I have had enough for today," the hybrid announced suddenly. He shook himself, a surprisingly fox-like movement.

Kabuto was not disappointed. He had seen one of Bara's hybrids in the flesh. It was not a time for disappointment.

Once the hybrid and the Uchiha had gone, the woman talked more than it was wise to do. She had tissue samples. She had tried growing some of them and discovered, as Kabuto would have expected, that the pattern of genes expressed varied from sample to sample.

She made the error of not controlling where she looked. He had discovered where the tissue samples were stored.

* * *

They walked side by side towards the crew room.

"I think that was useful," Sasuke observed. "We have lots of leads for Shikamaru and Rin to follow."

Naruto did not reply. He was still thinking about what the scientist had told them. Why had he been created and for whom? Did it matter? He looked at Sasuke. No, it did not matter. He was grateful to this Bara, who had made him capable of living this life, who had built him so that he could feel this way about his friends, about the babies and, most importantly, about Sasuke.

Sasuke found himself lifted up, spun about, tossed into the air and caught by a laughing, happy Naruto.

* * *

Kabuto analysed his situation. He suspected that presenting Orochimaru with the fox-hybrid would be an error. Orochimaru would be delighted to have one of Bara's creations but the hybrid's devotion was firmly fixed on the Uchiha. Eventually Orochimaru would be disappointed and Kabuto had no intention of being associated with disappointment. No, it would be better if the hybrids presented themselves. He required bait. Perhaps the older Uchiha would serve for both hybrids.

Kabuto reviewed and refined his plan. Delaying only increased the risk. He set the timers and waited.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke spent the rest of the day together. Sasuke watched Naruto training. Hoshi, Haru and Hikaru were thoroughly checked and viewed. Iruka and Kurenai were persuaded to discuss babies and help them make lists.

They sat next to each other at the evening meal. Sasuke played the biwa before they retired to their room early. Sasuke pulled Naruto to him and reached up for a kiss. Naruto was pleased to oblige.

"How would you like to see the other type of show?" Sasuke offered.

* * *

It was time. The thirty mink-human hybrids were out of cryosuspension, prepped and suited. The explosives and the cannon were prepared. The hover platform and the two pressurised sleds were ready. Kabuto donned his own suit.

He disabled the alarm, opened the outer door of the unpressurised bay and sent twenty of the thirty swarming over the surface of the ship.

On his signal there were ten explosions on the hull and Kabuto used the cannon on the airlock in the bay.

* * *

The ship shuddered under the impact of multiple explosions.

Alarms blared. Hatches closed. Doors sealed.

Naruto was fully alert at first of the explosions. He had pulled away from Sasuke before thinking of the damage he might do him, only to find that the massive adrenalin surge had dispelled his knot and shrivelled his erection.

Halfway to the nursery the room started to shake.

A steel wall was coming down between him and the nursery. He dived for the rapidly closing gap only to have Sasuke charge him, knocking him away from his objective.

The wall thudded into the floor, separating him from his babies.

Rage consumed him.

Naruto attacked.


	66. Boarded

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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Author's note

_Thank you to those who have left reviews: the readers who review regularly, those who have left multiple reviews and those who have reviewed once._

_It is quite a commitment to update daily so it is really nice to know that there are people out there who are enjoying the story.__ I look forward to hearing from more of you (hint!)._

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**66. Boarded**

* * *

Sasuke managed to dodge the blow because Naruto was already passing out when he made it; he whispered thanks to Shikamaru for the controller that made the life they shared possible.

He had not been frightened. He refused to be frightened of his Naruto. The trembling was a side effect of adrenalin, not a symptom of fear.

He pulled Naruto's limbs into less contorted positions, put a pillow under his head and covered him with the bedcover. He looked at the steel barrier between him and the nursery. Damn Kakashi and is insistence on a safe room. Sasuke stalked to the door. He knew it would not open; a similar steel shutter would have dropped within the wall. He leaned on the button for the local intercom and spoke loudly.

"This is Sasuke. The safe room function has engaged. Please report."

He made himself wait. He was on the verge of speaking again when a click announced that someone on the other side of the door was about to use the intercom.

"This is Iruka. The crew rooms and galley are sealed off from the rest of the ship. We are establishing defensive positions at the three entrances and activating the battle chairs to try to connect to the ship's systems. No one in either crew room is hurt. We are trying to establish contact with Asuma-san."

"That is good," Sasuke confirmed. "Tell Kakashi-sensei I am relying on him. Naruto went berserk when the shutter came down between him and the nursery. If you can spare the personnel, please can someone get the door between the nursery and the crew room open and check the babies before he wakes up?"

"Understood, Sasuke-sama. Rin-san and I will see to it. I will update you soon."

* * *

Iruka released the button of the intercom. Should he have told Sasuke that Shikamaru and Neji were not in the crew room? On one hand Sasuke had requested a report but on the other he was stuck in the safe room with nothing to do but worry.

Shino and Kakashi were activating the two battle chairs in this crew room while Fu and Hamaki did the same in the other. Dan had found and was distributing laser guns. Konohamaru and Inari were unpacking and laying out suits. Gai was organising people into three groups, one for each entrance. There had been no more explosions, which was good.

Iruka sent Tayuya to find Rin and started working on the door to the nursery.

* * *

Neji was startled awake by the explosions. For a split moment he did not know where he was but then he remembered; they had fallen asleep after fucking in Shino's garden, the one he was growing in a hydroponics bay as a surprise for Anko. Shikamaru was still asleep. Then the alarms started and Shikamaru startled awake.

There was a breeze that was building into a wind. They looked at each other for a split moment before sprinting for the locker that held the emergency suits.

Neji had to help Shika seal his suit. In a life-threatening crisis it was better not to think and Shikamaru was incapable of that. Neji sprung the panel concealing the gun box, inputted the code and removed two laser pistols. He strapped one holster to Shika's leg and the other to his own. He slung the repair kit across his back and held out the medic pack to Shikamaru.

Around them the plants were wilting and shrivelling; either the hull breech was within hydroponics or something had happened to stop the hatches sealing.

Movement; Neji pulled Shikamaru into cover.

* * *

Kakashi controlled his fury. The battle chairs were useless. Someone, he was almost certain it was Kabuto, had connected zapboxes to the wiring and had managed to knock out all five circuits. The ship wide intercom would only crackle and the backup radios fizzed with interference. The only communication device working was the local intercom between the room they were in and the safe room because it was short range and so heavily shielded.

At least Sasuke and Naruto were safe. He was trying not to think about Shikamaru; he thanked the Lady that Neji was with him. Asuma would protect Kurenai and the children.

"I want every active elite fighter suited and armed," he ordered and watched as they sprang into action. He went over to where Iruka was trying to persuade the door to the nursery to open. "Is there air on the other side?" he asked.

Iruka nodded.

"Shino, over here," Kakashi called. "Get this door open." He pulled Iruka to one side. "We're going to seal the galley and this crew room, vent the air in the other crew room and go see what is happening. Everyone staying here should be suited and armed with helmets and gloves ready. Anko can organise defensive positions. You check the babies and get the gestators into their shells. The only way we have of communicating is to beat messages on the bulkheads. Choza knows the code we will use." He pulled Iruka to him and kissed him.

"I love you, 'Kashi," Iruka whispered when they pulled apart.

Kakashi pushed back Iruka's long, loose hair from his face. "Ir-chan. My life's love," he replied and walked away quickly to don his suit.

* * *

Naruto was growling as he recovered consciousness. Sasuke was ready.

"Tell me you are absolutely certain you would have made it and I will apologise," he said. "The babies need their chichi alive, not cut in two."

Naruto flushed. He did not know if he would have made it. He had not thought. "I am sorry," he admitted. He was on his feet, prowling.

"I have spoken to Iruka," Sasuke told him. "He and Rin are going to get the other door open and check the babies. The crew rooms have air and everyone in them is fine. As yet, we have no other information about what is happening."

"Turn off the safe room," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke sighed. "We can't. It does not work like that. It's a minimum of three days, Naruto. You know that."

"Shi-chan could get it to open," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke agreed that Shikamaru probably could. "Shikamaru has other things to do, dobe, like finding out what is happening and dealing with it."

* * *

Shikamaru prodded one of the small, suited bodies with his foot. He guessed it was some type of hybrid, but it was definitely more animal than human. He could see a furry and whiskered face through the helmet. At least it confirmed that Kabuto was their antagonist.

The fight had been strange. The hybrids' laser pistols had been set so low that they did not even damage their suits. Shikamaru knew that because one of them had scored a direct hit and he was still alive.

Neji was still recovering from the moment he had thought that his Shika was being drilled through by a laser. He checked the intercom and the radio; neither was working. He tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and signalled that he was going to connect their helmets. Shikamaru nodded.

"Communications are out," Neji told him.

"Taken down," Shikamaru clarified. He considered. What other ways did they have of communicating? Old Uchiha had a long-short code. "I am going to beat out a message," he warned Neji and disconnected their helmets.

* * *

Kakashi felt the vibrations but missed the meaning. He looked to Choza, who had his ear on a cup pressed against one of the main bulkheads. Konohamaru was writing what he was saying but Kakashi could read his lips. "Neji. Shika. Well. Hull breech. Suited. Hybrid fighters. Lasers. May have no-kill orders. Saw two. Killed two."

He breathed a sigh of relief. Trust Shikamaru to know a code he had never been asked to learn and to think of using it so quickly. He went to where the fighters were assembled in the other crew room. Haku slid the door closed behind him. He heard it lock and seal.

"That was Shikamaru and Neji reporting in. We have hybrid fighters on board armed with lasers, but it may be their job to distract and delay us rather than kill us. Hamaki, Fu and Terai, your job is to get Kisame to his ship. Kisame, I want you launched as soon as possible. Disable any ship leaving the Oak. Destroy any strange ship unless you are absolutely certain it is a friend. Don't forget to scatter tags. Dan and Kunugi, you are with me. Tatsuji and Inoichi, you are with Gai. Kill the fighters, capture Kabuto and find out what is happening. We can only communicate through long-short, so keep it brief. Helmets on."

* * *

Shino slid open the door to the nursery. Iruka pushed his way in through the hangings. All looked as usual, which was a relief; he had half expected to see three unoccupied hollows and a hole in the wall. Rin slipped past him and started checking the displays. Iruka saw her relax and crouched down to pull the shells from under the platform.

"Everything is in the green," Rin confirmed. "The gestators' transfer into isolation mode was flawless."

They placed each gestator to its shell, each shell in a harness, each shell in its hollow and clipped harnesses to the platform. Iruka then told Shino to make sure that the door was jammed open; the last thing they wanted was for the door to shut and seal, isolating the babies. He then went to the intercom.

* * *

Naruto jumped to the intercom when he heard the click.

"Iruka reporting. Rin-san has checked the babies and they are well. We have put the gestators in their shells and harnesses."

"She viewed them?" Naruto asked.

"We had to go off the displays, Naru-kun, because the gestators went into isolation mode when the communications were cut off. Rin-san is a master at reading displays. They are fine."

Sasuke gave Naruto a hug. "And the rest?" he asked.

"We have been boarded," Iruka confirmed. "Probably by Kabuto and some hybrid fighters. There is at least one hull breech. All communications have been taken down. We do not know what he wants. We evacuated the other crew room to use as an air lock and the fighters are dealing with it." There was a pause. "Shikamaru and Neji weren't in the crew room but we have now heard from them and they are suited and mobile."

Sasuke scowled. "You did not tell me that last time, Iruka-san."

There was another, shorter, pause. "I apologise, Sasuke-sama."

"I understand," Sasuke replied. "Thank you for checking the babies. Please keep me updated."

Naruto released the switch. He shook himself. Shi-chan being out there was bad.

Sasuke squeezed his arm. "Neji is with him. Neji will make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

* * *

Neji was following Shikamaru along a corridor before he realised how wrong that was. Firstly he did not know where they were going and, secondly, if anyone was going to lead it was him. He caught Shikamaru's hand, pulled him to him, pushed him against the bulkhead and connected their helmets.

"We are going to the crew room," he insisted.

"But I am almost sure Kabuto is in the infirmary," Shikamaru complained.

"Exactly," Neji replied. "Shika, just because those hybrids did not kill us does not mean the others or Kabuto won't. We are going to the crew room. We are getting you back to where you belong, which is close to Sasuke so you can tell him what you are thinking." He could tell that Shikamaru was going to argue. "Shika, I am not going to explain to Naruto that I let you run around out here playing fighter and you ended up dead or injured."

Shikamaru flushed. Neji had a point. Na-chan would be cross. He reconsidered; Kakashi would deduce that Kabuto's target was the infirmary.

* * *

Kakashi sent Gai to bay five, where Kabuto's ship was docked, with the task of preventing his escape. He, Dan and Kunugi headed for the infirmary.

The explosions had stopped and had not been replaced by any other evidence of escalating damage. Kabuto was not trying to kill them; he intended to steal something or someone. Given that Kabuto was not trying to fight his way into the crew room, the tissue samples in the infirmary seemed his most likely target. There were others, like Shikamaru's data crystals or Shikamaru himself, but Kakashi did not think Kabuto knew about either.

Progress was slow; Kakashi suspected that the hull had multiple breaches, causing an emergency response that had sealed various corridors at many different points. Some of the emergency doors opened with the appropriate code. Others had air on the other side, which meant waiting until they could equalise the pressure. He hoped that Kisame and Gai were moving more quickly.

* * *

Gai stared at the empty bay, the open hatch and the stars beyond; Kabuto had moved his ship.

* * *

Kisame smashed one of the annoying critters into a wall, holed a second through the helmet with his laser and stamped on a third. They seemed to be attracted to him like iron to a magnet. Two were picked off by Hamaki. Kisame looked to where Fu and Terai were working on yet another door. He wished he had a cannon; it would be so much quicker with a cannon.

The door opened to reveal five more. They had been lying in wait and latched onto Kisame immediately, making the laser pistols too risky. Fu and Terai ran to the next door, leaving Hamaki to pick any off that Kisame managed to throw to a safe distance.

* * *

Neji and Shikamaru had opened two emergency doors when they found an open corridor. One way led to the infirmary, the other to the crew room. Shikamaru looked in the direction of the infirmary only to have his hand taken by Neji, who started running towards the crew room, forcing Shikamaru to run with him or be dragged.

* * *

Kabuto isolated and disconnected the tanks. Pairs of mink hybrids slid them onto the sleds, then closed and sealed the covers. Another pair was cutting though the floor around the steel container that contained the tissue samples. Handles were fixed to the floor before the cutting was complete, then all six hybrids lifted the floor bearing the tissue bank onto the hover platform and secured it,

Kabuto signalled a warning, set the cannon to maximum and fired, blowing a hole in the side of the ship and creating their escape route.

The whole ship shook. It started to pitch and yaw. Kabuto wondered, for a moment, if his calculations had been incorrect but then the ship's lateral rockets fired to correct the aberrant movements.

* * *

Kisame, Hamaki, Fu, Terai and the five hybrids they had next encountered ended up in a pile against the door Fu and Terai had been working on. The mink hybrids went crazy, punching and kicking; their jaws were snapping at nothing within their helmets. Kisame picked them up one by one, smashed each helmet against the bulkhead and threw the creatures down the corridor to die.

* * *

Gai had managed to catch Inoichi as he went off the edge of the jetty and fell towards the open bay doors. Tatsuji was clinging to Gai's legs. He dragged them back to safety.

* * *

Neji was thrown into the bulkhead. It took him a moment to recover. When he did so he saw Shikamaru crumpled and motionless. Neji had never moved faster.

His helmet was cracked and the pressure in his suit was dangerously low. Neji unslung the repair pack, found a patch and pressed it carefully over the crack. He then watched the dials. To his relief they started to move in the right direction.

* * *

People and objects were thrown about the crew room. Iruka heard the crockery in the galley breaking. He crawled towards the nursery and was rewarded by the sight of the gestators still in their hollows, held by the harnesses.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke had been lying on the bed. Naruto automatically covered Sasuke with his body. As soon as the ship steadied he was at the intercom, stabbing the switch, demanding news of his babies.

* * *

Kakashi, Dan and Kunugi rode the unexpected movement and kept working on the last door between them and the infirmary.

* * *

One of the mink-human hybrids brought the ship alongside and matched velocities. The ship's hatch opened and lines snaked across the gap. The hybrids swarmed across, guiding the sleds and the platform. Kabuto followed.

The lines fell away. The hatch closed. The ship accelerated away from the Oak.

* * *

Neji could not carry Shika without risking injuring him further. He would not leave him to find a hover platform or help. In desperation, he pounded mayday on the bulkhead.

* * *

Fu flung open the last door. Kisame ran to his ship.

* * *

Kakashi opened the door and looked through the infirmary and out into space. They were too late. He could see Kabuto's ship accelerating away. He looked about and saw the hole where the tissue bank had been welded to the floor.

Dan moved past him and began checking the side rooms. The look on his face told Kakashi even before he read Dan's lips. The bastard had Itachi. He had even taken Natsuhi.

Kakashi imagined Kisame's response and shivered.

Kunugi was pulling at his arm, insisting that he place his gloved hand on the bulkhead. Kakashi complied, expecting a message. The rhythm of the simple mayday suggested desperation. With no further information the best they could do was to head at speed towards the crew room.

* * *

Neji had placed Shikamaru in the recovery position and was watching the dials. The patch prevented him connecting to Shika's helmet so he could not check if he were breathing. At intervals he would beat mayday on the bulkhead.

He felt running footfalls through the floor. He shielded Shikamaru's body with his own and drew his pistol.

* * *

Kakashi's gut clenched as he saw Neji crouching over Shikamaru's body.

Dan was beside them, connecting to Neji's helmet for information. Kunugi was scouting for anything that could be used as a stretcher or a sling.

It was taking too long. Kakashi activated his implant, waited for it to kick in and scooped Shikamaru up. He looked at the patched helmet and prayed that Shikamaru's brain had not been deprived of oxygen.

They headed for the crew room.

* * *

Kisame cleared the Oak. Kabuto was not heading for the gate. He had to be heading for an ungated hole; a mother ship must be coming to pick him up. Kisame only had until Kabuto jumped to disable his ship or at least to tag it.

He concentrating on getting close enough to launch a projectile filled with tags.

* * *

It took forever to fill the crew room with air. Shikamaru showed no sign of regaining consciousness. Kakashi hammered out a message on the door so that Rin would be ready.

Then the pressures were equalised, the door was open and they were in. Rin had the galley set up as a makeshift infirmary. Kakashi lay Shikamaru on the table. Rin and Shino began stripping off his suit. The rest of them removed their helmets and gloves.

Dan was unpacking the supplies he had collected in the infirmary. Rin thanked him with a look.

Under his suit Shikamaru was only wearing his ring and the chain about his neck bearing his love ring for Neji; confirmation of what he and Neji had been doing when the alarms sounded. His hair was down. At Rin's insistence, Shino removed the jewellery. He handed it to Neji.

Neji stood there, motionless, with the chain dangling from his fingers.

* * *

Kabuto's ship was approaching the hole.

There was no sign of a mother ship, which was good. Kisame launched one projectile, closed the gap slightly and then launched another.

Kabuto's ship jumped and Kisame roared his frustration. The bastard had a Mulligan drive in a ship too small to hold one; he was gone.


	67. Holding the fort

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated and encourage me to continue the story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._ _In this story, 'spacers' consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable._

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* * *

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**67. Holding the fort**

* * *

Kakashi studied Shikamaru's unconscious body. He felt nauseous and blamed it on the side effects of using his implant. His headache was already escalating. He had to sit down. He found a chair.

The image of Neji crouching over Shikamaru's body would not leave him. He suspected this would be another such memory; Shikamaru looked horribly lifeless lying naked on the galley table. Kakashi had not expected to feel so much; he did not think he could feel worse even if it were Sasuke.

In Kakashi's plan, Shikamaru had been a means to an end; the type seven genius who would transform Sasuke's leadership. In reality, the lad had often been troublesome but, Kakashi reluctantly admitted, never more trouble than he was worth. He had grown into everything Kakashi had wanted him to be. What Kakashi had never imagined was that he would care this much.

He remembered trying to convince Iruka that they must recruit the lad without admitting what he was or why he needed him. Iruka had viewed the application video and argued against taking on a cat who was immature, utterly naïve and most likely a misfit, even if he were clever. He was still unconvinced when they had been arriving to speak with the boy and his parents.

Then Iruka had seen the crew that was leaving as they arrived; they had made Kakashi's flesh crawl. Kakashi still remembered watching the pieces fall into place in Iruka's mind; if they did not take the boy he might end up with a crew like that.

The lad's mother had been tough, with a sharp tongue, but she obviously cared; five minutes with Iruka had been enough.

And Shikamaru had been, as Iruka had predicted, completely useless. He had been absentminded and dreamy. He had either said nothing or chattered about stuff no one understood. He hated routine. He could not get up in the mornings; two out of every three days he had still been asleep when Ibiki had dumped him in the shower and turned the faucet to cold. It wasn't that he had not known how to do domestic chores, his mother had taught him, but he was appallingly bad at them.

As for the fucking, after discussing every other option Kakashi and Iruka had decided that there was no alternative to taking him into their bed and showing him. It had been the turning point. Once the lad had recovered from the shock he had proved to be a keen student and, once he had become enthusiastic about fucking and sucking, the rest of the crew were willing to tolerate his oddness.

Then, during the last four standards, Shikamaru had grown into his skin. He had become a fascinating and unique young man; Uchiha's greatest asset.

But Kakashi knew that was not why he cared. He cared because, inside, Shikamaru was still the odd boy with a good heart who struggled to see himself and the world through ordinary people's eyes.

It hurt to think that he might die. It hurt more than the headache.

Then Iruka was beside him. Kakashi leaned his head on Iruka's flat stomach and shut his eyes. Soothing fingers stroked his temples. Kakashi wished he could relax and let Iruka take care of him but this was not the time. He forced himself to listen to Rin's diagnosis.

"His heartbeat is strong," she began. "He is breathing well, his blood pressure is within normal limits and I can't tell what's wrong with him without a dia-doc. I need to get him to the infirmary."

"The infirmary was the focus of the attack," Dan told her. "There a hole in the floor where they cut out the tissue bank and there is a huge hole in the wall that goes all the way through the hull."

Rin flinched. "The infirmary on the Sakura, then," she insisted.

Kakashi wished he had thought of that. "I used my implant, Rin-san. Can you give me anything to keep me functional?"

"Kakashi!" Iruka chided.

"There isn't a choice," Kakashi reminded him. "I'll rest as soon as I can."

Rin prepared a hypodermic spray. "You'll pay for this later, Kakashi-san," she warned as she applied it to his neck.

The pain washed away, replaced by a surge of well being that Kakashi knew to be entirely false. He considered what had to be done and what should be prioritised.

"Rin-san, Neji-san, I want you work out what you would need to get Shikamaru to the Sakura if we can't pressurise a path." He captured Iruka's hand and kissed his wrist. "Ir-chan, please send Sumaru-kun in here and then tell Sasuke and Naruto about Shikamaru."

Iruka touched his cheek, nodded and left.

Kakashi studied Neji. He was still standing there, chalk white and motionless, staring at Shikamaru's face. Kakashi stood up, walked over to him and took the chain and ring from his unresisting hand. He opened the chain, added Shikamaru's ring, closed it and hung the chain around Neji's neck.

"This," Kakashi gestured towards Shikamaru, "happened when Kabuto blew a hole in the side of the ship and it is his fault not yours. You were on your way back to the crew room, which was the right thing to do. You saved his life by patching his helmet and you thought of an effective way of summoning assistance. He is lucky to have you. We all are."

The gratitude in Neji's eyes confirmed his need for support and his appreciation that Kakashi should give it.

Sumaru was stood hesitantly at the door of the galley. Kakashi beckoned him to come closer and then guided him to the far end of the galley.

"I have bad news for you, Sumaru-kun," he said, softly. "The scientist, Kabuto, took your mother. We do not know why. He took her and he took Itachi."

The boy looked at him with steady, dark eyes. "Mother was never going to get better," he admitted. "Itachi was. Kisame-san is going to be upset."

That, Kakashi thought, was one of the biggest understatements he had ever heard. "Yes. I have not had an opportunity to tell him yet. I am going to tell Sasuke now. Is there anyone I can get for you?"

Sumaru shook his head. "No. Thank you for telling me. I will go to my room now."

Kakashi watched him go. With Naruto, Kisame and Sasuke unavailable he could not think of whom to send to him.

Kakashi changed places with Iruka at the intercom and then pressed the switch. "Sasu-kun, this is Kakashi."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke replied, alerted by the form of address that this was personal.

"The bastard took Itachi, still tanked," Kakashi told him. "He also took the tissue bank and Natsuhi-san. I think he took Natsuhi-san because of the symbiote and the tissue bank because it contains samples from Naruto. The only reason I can think of for him to take Itachi is to make Kisame, and possibly you and therefore Naruto, follow him." Kakashi could hear Naruto growling.

"Is there no way we can get this safe room open, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"After one day, it will be possible if five people off a list of ten request it using thumb print, retina scan and voice," Kakashi answered. "I will give the list to Ir-chan."

There was a pause. "Where will you be?" Sasuke asked.

"Probably asleep," Kakashi admitted. "I used my implant and Rin has given me a shot. Once I give out it will be for some time."

When he turned away from the intercom Choza and Shino were at a respectful distance, waiting.

Choza told him that there had been a long-short message from Asuma confirming that he and his family were well and that Izumo, Kotetsu and the baby were with them.

Shino explained that they had been working on a temporary airlock for the door of the crew room; Kakashi asked him to assemble it as quickly as possible.

Kakashi then asked Choza to send long-short messages asking Gai and Hamaki to report in.

Back in the galley he discovered that there was no change in Shikamaru's condition and that Neji and Rin had a sensible plan for transferring him to the Sakura. Kakashi explained to them why it was worth delaying until Shino and his team had finished assembling the airlock.

He then went to find Haku and told him about Itachi.

"When Kisame comes back, I am going to have to tell him," Kakashi explained. "If you have any influence on him, Haku-san, you must use it. You must convince him that he has a better chance of retrieving Itachi if he stays with us."

Haku looked at him. "We are bothering to retrieve Itachi?" he queried.

It was an interesting question. "Itachi in someone else's hands is more dangerous than Itachi in our hands or even Itachi in no one's hands." Kakashi replied.

Haku considered and nodded. "I understand," he confirmed. "Also, we must kill this Kabuto for what he dared do to us."

Sometimes Kakashi liked the way Haku thought; this was one of those times.

As soon as the airlock was completed he sent Anko and Dan out to find the items on Rin's list. Gai, Inoichi and Tatsuji returned before them and Hamaki, Fu and Terai soon after. Kakashi waited until Gai had been to the head and had changed into a fresh suit.

"Gai-san?" he asked.

Gai put down the emergency ration he had been consuming. "Kakashi-san," he acknowledged.

"Rin-san wishes to move Shikamaru to the infirmary on the Sakura. There is nothing I want more than to take him there myself. I cannot do that. I must stay here and stand in Sasuke-sama's place until we can get the safe room open. Please will you lead the team taking him?" Kakashi watched Gai's weariness fall away.

"It will be an honour, Kakashi-san," he replied.

Kakashi did not watch them preparing Shikamaru for the transfer. It was difficult enough to concentrate on the tasks in hand without those emotions. Instead he listened to Shino's plans for re-establishing communications and modified them to include checking that Kabuto had not left them any nasty surprises.

Then, on the heels of Shikamaru's departure, Kisame was back. Kakashi took his arm before anyone else could speak to him, guided him into the galley and shut the door.

"Report," he ordered.

Kisame told him that he had been too late, that he was not even convinced he had tagged Kabuto's ship and about the jump. "It is not possible to get a Mulligan drive into a craft that small," he complained.

"And there is no such device as an improver," Kakashi reminded him.

Kisame acquiesced.

Kakashi decided that there was no good way. "He took Itachi. Tanked."

Kisame took a moment to take it in. Then he roared and brought his clenched fists down onto the table top, which buckled.

Kakashi considered fleeing the room but his pride stopped him. He watched in fascination as Kisame internalised his fury.

"We jump after him. Now!" he hissed through his teeth.

"We can't," Kakashi responded. "We are too badly damaged. This is all part of Kabuto's plan to get you and Naruto. We have to work out our own plan rather than following his."

"He needs Itachi alive," Kisame admitted. "We do enough repairs to jump though the hole and check if I tagged him," he insisted.

Kakashi relaxed a little. "That is a good first step in our plan," he acknowledged. He wondered if he could use Kisame's kind nature to distract him. "He also took Natsuhi-san," he informed him.

Kisame stiffened. "Does Suma-kun know?"

"Yes, I told him. He was his usual stoic self. He was more worried about how you would feel about being separated from Itachi."

He watched Kisame walking towards Sumaru's room. Then he looked at the table and sighed. Ir-chan would be miffed; it was bad enough that they had smashed another set of crockery.

The situation improved greatly once Shino's teams found and removed the zapboxes, re-establishing communications. Rin gave them an update on Shikamaru's condition; he had not woken and Rin had yet to pin down the reason to her satisfaction. Izumo and Kotetsu organised teams to repair the hull breeches. Iruka and Haku made sure that everyone was fed, that the re-supplied suits kept coming and that no one other than Kakashi was pushing him or herself too hard.

Kakashi was surprised when Asuma appeared at his shoulder and took the coffee cup from his hand.

"I will take over now," his friend told him. "You have ten minutes to bring me up to date before Iruka puts you to bed. If you are difficult, I will get Kisame to hold you down while Dan gives you a shot."

Kakashi considered arguing but decided it was pointless. He checked that Asuma was up to speed about the repairs before moving onto leadership issues.

"I have agreed with Kisame that we will jump through the hole Kabuto used as soon as possible. We need to check if Kisame managed to tag his ship. If we don't do that much Kisame will leave. You can get the safe room open exactly one standard day after the alarm was raised. I have written down what you need to do." He pushed a folded sheet towards Asuma. "Please, I beg you, do not have a strategy meeting without me there. It will be bad enough trying to function without Shikamaru. Either delay the meeting or give me a wake-up shot."

Asuma nodded. "How is Shikamaru-kun?" he asked.

Kakashi looked away. "No change," he said and found himself engulfed in a hug.

"You are allowed to worry about him, Ka-chan. We all know how important he is to you."

Kakashi blinked. "You do?" he queried.

"Of course we do. It is obvious. Iruka, Shikamaru and Sasuke are your family, with Naruto as a much beloved son-in-law and Neji like a brother-in-law of whom you only partly approve."

Kakashi was about to deny it when, strangely, it started to make sense; perhaps it was the exhaustion, or the shot Rin had given him, or the coffee.

"Although you and Iruka are a little young to be grandfathers," Asuma admitted.

That was definitely a step too far for Kakashi. He shoved Asuma's chest. "Idiot," he accused.

"That is better," Asuma told him. He looked towards the door. "Here is your Ir-chan arriving to take charge of you."

"Thank you, Asuma-san," Iruka acknowledged.

"You are welcome, Iruka-san," Asuma replied with a smile.

Kakashi sighed as he allowed Iruka to lead him into their room. It was good to have a friend like Asuma. It was even better to have a lover like Iruka. And, he admitted, if he had a son and a little brother he would want them to be like Sasuke and Shikamaru.

Which was a very un-Kakashi way to think.

So he thought about fucking instead and, to his surprise, his body appeared to have enough energy left to concur.

"'Kashi!" Iruka warned. "You need to sleep, not fuck."

Kakashi was not deterred. Iruka would give in after the first kiss. He always did.


	68. Encounters

Thank you for the reviews, even the recent one that is not quite in keeping with the others! In response to 'Mr.J', who asks "why so gay" my answer would be "This is described as Naru/Sasu/Naru Kakashi/Iruka Neji/Shikamaru plus others, so what did you expect?"

Seriously, reviews are very welcome and encouarge me to keep writing.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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* * *

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68. Encounters

* * *

Repairs proceeded quickly. The Oak was soon accelerating towards the hole through which Kabuto had jumped. Izumo had assured Asuma that they would be able to jump by the time they reached it.

Asuma went to find Kisame. He was in the gym rather than helping with the repairs because that was safer for the rest of the crew. Repeating the familiar actions helped him contain his fury. Asuma stood respectfully to one side and waited. Finally Kisame slowed and stopped.

"Asuma-san," he acknowledged.

"Kisame-san," Asuma responded. "We will be jumping in about fifty minutes." He took a deep breath. "This jump is not to chase him. We can't afford to chase him headlong into a trap. It is to find out if he is tagged."

Kisame was motionless. Asuma swallowed. He had seen the table in the galley. Kurenai would be very angry if he got himself killed.

Finally Kisame spoke. "I do not want to confront him," he admitted. "He has Itachi. If he is confronted, he will threaten to kill him."

Asuma steeled himself. "Kabuto wants you and Naruto. Would you go to him to be with Itachi? Would you give him Naruto to get Itachi back?"

Kisame regarded him with his one, small eye. "Who are you to ask these questions?" he asked.

Asuma bristled. "I am Asuma, who saw what you and Itachi left in Tarrasade. I am Asuma, who found the shell of a child in a room with his mother's body. I am Asuma, who watched that child suffer for six standards because of what you did not do. I am Asuma who still believes that it would be safer to kill you. I am Asuma, who used to be your friend but does not understand what you became. I am Asuma who believes you will do anything, however horrific, for Itachi."

They looked at each other.

"I will never give him Naruto," Kisame answered. "I do not believe that going to him would result in Itachi's safety or us being together. I will wait to hear what Sasuke-sama intends to do."

Asuma nodded. He turned to leave. He had reached the door when Kisame spoke again.

"You are correct to ask these questions, Asuma-san."

* * *

"We still do not know if we tagged him, Sasuke-sama," Asuma reported over the intercom. "He scattered interference drones and tags as soon as he was through the hole. There are three normally navigable holes, all of them mapped and none of them gated. Due to the interference, we cannot tell which one he took. I decided to come back through the hole and we are in the process of detagging the ship. I cannot imagine that he will not check for our tags once he is clear."

"Thank you, Asuma-san," Sasuke acknowledged. "That will be all for now."

Sasuke moved away from the intercom and sat on the bed.

"That's it, then," he observed. "We cannot chase him."

Naruto looked up at him from where he was sitting, cross-legged, on the rug. "What happens if we do not catch him?" he asked.

Sasuke considered. "Kisame may leave us on a quest to be reunited with Itachi. Kabuto may think of a way of using the symbiote." He paused before continuing. "With the material in the tissue bank he can clone you and he create as many little Uchihas as he likes. Or little Kakashis, or Irukas, or clones and children of anyone else whose cells were in the container. He could use our genes in new hybrids."

Naruto's eyes widened with horror. "We must stop him. We must find him even if we cannot chase him."

Sasuke almost said that Shikamaru would come up with a plan. Then he remembered that Shikamaru was lying unconscious in the infirmary on the Sakura. "At least he did not get the babies," he said instead. "If they had been in the infirmary, he would have taken them."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Sasuke wished he could take them back. He had managed to fill Naruto's mind with horror while he was still denied the comfort of seeing that Hikaru, Haru and Hoshi were healthy and happy in their gestators.

"Sweetheart," he pleaded, joining him on the rug.

To his dismay Naruto moved away from him. He tried again, only to have Naruto growl at him and retreat into the head. Sasuke heard the lock engage.

Ten minutes later he gave up on persuading Naruto to come out; he would try again later.

He checked the time. Another two hundred and eighty six minutes before they could get the safe room open.

He went to the intercom and asked anyone available to respond.

* * *

Shino made his way to the Sakura. He was very weary, but he understood Naruto's need for news of his babies and believed that Sasuke was right; it would be better if the gestators were out of their shells when Naruto was released from the safe room. For that he needed Rin and Shino thought he had a better chance of persuading her in person.

He paused at the door of the infirmary. Neji was sitting at the side of the tank. He looked awful. Shino could see Rin in her office; how she could sit in there and ignore Neji's suffering was beyond him.

Shino took a detour to the laboratory. He contacted Konohamaru, who was on communications duty on the Oak, and asked him to convey a message to Haku.

Haku replied by arriving with a basket of supplies. He and Shino headed for the infirmary.

"Visitors!" Haku announced brightly.

Neji looked up to see Haku bearing down on him. Next thing he knew he had been hugged, dressed in a warmer jacket, moved to a more comfortable chair and fed tea. Haku did not suggest that he leave the side of the tank for even a moment. When Neji himself admitted that he needed to visit the head, Haku promised he would watch Shikamaru until he returned. Once he was back, Haku sat in a chair close to him and held his hand.

Shino went to tackle Rin, who was watching Haku fuss over Neji through the window of her office.

"I assume there is no news," Shino began.

"No, he is stable but still unconscious," Rin confirmed. "I did tell Neji-san that there was no point in him sitting there."

"Wouldn't you want to sit there if it were Dan-san?" Shino asked.

Rin flushed slightly. "Maybe," she conceded.

"I need you to come and check the babies," Shino told her.

Rin was immediately alert. "Is there a problem?"

"No," Shino replied, "but the Boss wants you to check them and report to Naruto-san. We think it would be a good idea to get the gestators out of the shells now that the crisis had passed. I do not feel confident about doing that without you or Naruto." He paused, judging her response. "If you refuse, I will ask Izumo-san to help me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rin retaliated. "Izumo is exhausted. He and Kotetsu have been working non-stop." She bit her lip. "As you have been, Shino-san. Surely it can wait. Naruto-san may even wish to so it himself."

"The Boss says that Naruto-san is badly stressed." Shino could see it was not enough. He decided that Rin deserved it. "Apparently he can't get out of his head what would have happened if the babies had been in the infirmary."

Rin scowled at him but Shino's face was as expressionless as always.

* * *

Sasuke was despairing. Rin had made matters worse, not better. He had needed Rin to tell Naruto that everything was fine, not for her to give a detailed account of every blip in the data and conclude that the babies had been agitated and disturbed by being isolated in their shells.

Then Naruto had asked about Shikamaru and Rin had shared her thoughts about possible reasons for Shikamaru's continued unconsciousness, most of which were as worrying as they were unlikely.

He watched Naruto pacing up and down the room. Every so often he would growl. He growled more if Sasuke tried speaking to him.

It had been easier when he had been locked in the head.

One hundred and ten minutes to go.

Sasuke decided to have a shower. It would waste some time. He started to move off the bed.

Naruto growled at him.

"Stop growling at me," Sasuke complained. "It isn't my fault."

"It is," Naruto told him. "You let him on the ship. You made me say yes by telling me my children would be ashamed of me when I was old and weak."

Sasuke froze. Had he said that to Naruto? Even if he had not, was that what Naruto had thought he was saying? And Naruto was right, he should have never let Kabuto on the ship. At most he should have agreed to a meeting somewhere neutral, like Mercy Station.

"I am sorry," he admitted. "I should never have let him on the ship and I should never, ever have said anything that made you feel like that."

Naruto turned away from him. "I am not ready to forgive you," he replied. "You can move off the bed." He sat on the floor facing the nursery. "But stay away from me."

At least the water running down Sasuke's face hid the tears.

Naruto knew Sasuke was crying. Sasuke deserved to feel bad enough to cry. This mess was his fault. His obsession with Naruto living longer and not aging might have got Shi-chan killed or stopped his brain working correctly; Shi-chan hated it when he could not think. Kabuto would breed little Uchihas and little Narutos who did not work. Worse, he would experiment. Naruto imagined a fox-human hybrid who looked a lot like him, a bit like Sasuke and could not think or move properly. He shuddered.

And Rin had said the babies had suffered from being in their shells. That was not a might or a maybe. That was a fact.

Sasuke deserved to feel bad enough to cry.

But his Sasuke was crying. He was crying because of what Naruto had said to him. Perhaps he had cried enough.

Naruto found a towel and approached the shower. He opened the door, reached in, turned off the faucet and wrapped Sasuke in the towel. Then he carried him to the bed and cuddled him.

* * *

Asuma was wondering where he was going to find the fifth person off the list so that they could open the safe room. According to their usual routine, it was the middle of the night. Shino, who had done everything anyone had asked of him and more, was curled up on one of the couches asleep; Asuma had promised to wake him. Rin had gone back to the Sakura. Shikamaru was unconscious and Neji was with him. That left Kakashi, who was still sleeping off the effect of Rin's shot, and Iruka who was in bed with Kakashi.

Sasuke had gone suspiciously quiet but Naruto was begging Asuma to get the safe room open so he could check his babies.

He had decided that he would have to wake Iruka. He was about to knock on the door of his and Kakashi's room when it started to slid open. Asuma jumped back to a more appropriate distance.

Iruka smiled at him. "I set my alarm," he explained.

* * *

Naruto was in the nursery before Sasuke would have thought it possible. He could hear him cooing to the babies.

Sasuke checked his appearance, not good but not dreadful, and opened the door.

"Asuma-san, Iruka-sensei, thank you. Where is Shino-san? I wanted to thank him also."

"Already in bed," Asuma informed him. "He has worked incredibly hard. I took the second shift and Iruka-san got some sleep but Shino-san has been up almost the whole time." His eye studied Sasuke's face. "You all right, Sasu-kun? I expect being trapped in there waiting was also hard."

"I am fine," Sasuke lied. "Naruto will feel better when he has viewed each baby. Why don't you go home? I will contact you in the morning."

Asuma hesitated but nodded and took his leave.

Iruka also studied Sasuke. He was obviously not fine. He looked dreadful. "I have slept," he said. "We could talk."

Sasuke shook his head. "I need to view the babies with Naruto."

Iruka understood. "I will be in the galley for a while," he promised.

Sasuke half expected Naruto to growl at him when he entered the nursery. Instead he switched on the projector so that Sasuke could admire his daughter.

"They are fine now," Naruto admitted.

"We will ask Shino-san if there is a way of playing them your heartbeat when they are isolated and in their shells," Sasuke suggested. "I am sure that would help."

Naruto turned his attention from the viewer to Sasuke. He closed the space between them, picked Sasuke up and sat him on the platform. "I forgive you," he whispered and kissed him.

* * *

Naruto waited until Sasuke was asleep. He slid off the platform. There was one more thing he must do.

He slipped into the infirmary on the Sakura. Neji was asleep on one of the treatment beds. Naruto was almost certain that Haku had put him to bed; the tapestry cushion and the embroidered bedcover gave it away.

Shi-chan was in a tank. Naruto studied him. He did not look sick or injured. Rin-san had said she did not know why he would not wake up. Even the dia-doc did not know.

Naruto had his own way of waking Shi-chan. He snaked one hand into the tank, through the gel, towards Shi-chan toes. He tweaked Shi-chan's big toe, twice. Then he waited a bit and tried again.

The third time he was almost sure that Shi-chan moved his toe between the first and the second tweak.

Then the monitors started bleeping.

Naruto swiftly pulled his hand and lower arm from the gel and wiped it on the inside of his jacket. He sat on one of the chairs next to the tank and looked innocent.

Neji startled awake. "Naruto-san?" he asked.

"I got out of the safe room and wanted to see Shi-chan," he explained. "Is that machine meant to be bleeping?"

Rin hurried into the room with very little on, followed by Dan who threw her some clothes.

"Is he worse?" Neji asked.

"No, but something happened." She looked at Naruto. "Did you touch the gel?"

Naruto's heart fell. The tank had gone crazy because it detected his hybrid flesh; he must have imagined Shi-chan moving his toe. "I just wanted to touch him," he admitted.

To his surprise she was not angry. "I understand, Naruto-san. That explains the strange readings and the alarms. Nothing to worry about." She began resetting the monitors.

Neji was folding the embroidered bedcover and Dan was offering to make tea. Naruto decided that he would stay for one cup, to be polite, and then go back to Sasuke and the babies. He was very tired.

He was finishing his tea when a softer, but insistent, noise came from the monitor. Rin put down her cup and made her way over to the display. Then she turned to Dan. "We need to get him out, he might be coming around."

Naruto jumped up. "I can lift him out," he offered.

Rin nodded. Dan covered the bed Neji had been using with towels. Naruto lifted Shikamaru out of the tank, held him for a few moments over the tank until most of the gel had fallen away and then transferred him to the bed. Neji and Naruto then rubbed him down to remove the rest of the gel and to stimulate blood flow while Rin attached sensors to his temples. Dan then draped the bedcover over him.

"You watch him," Rin told Neji. "Dan and I will be in the office."

Naruto started moving towards the door.

"Stay," Neji requested. "Please."

Naruto nodded and sat down on the other chair. He watched Neji take the chain off from around his neck, remove Shikamaru's ring from it and slide it onto Shikamaru's duty finger. He then closed his hand around the other ring; Shikamaru's love offering to him.

"I thought I had lost him," he admitted. "Twice." He opened his hand and looked at the ring. "I am not like you, Naruto-san. I do not know if it is forever. I know I love him now, but I do not know what I will feel in ten standards, or twenty, or fifty. People change. Situations change."

"Humans live a long time," Naruto agreed. "I hope Sasuke finds someone to love when I am gone. I hope he gives him a love ring."

Neji smiled. "You are sure it will be another male then," he observed.

Naruto smiled back. "Very sure," he replied. "Neji-san, the ring means that you accept that Shikamaru loves you and you will be with only him until you give the ring back. He does love you and you do not want to be with anyone else. I do not understand why you cannot wear the ring."

Neji suddenly put the ring onto his heart finger. Naruto was pleased. It would mean a lot to Shi-chan. He smiled.

It was late morning before Shikamaru woke; as always.


	69. Covert planning

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated and encourage me to continue these stories.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

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**69. Covert planning**

* * *

Shikamaru had taken a few minutes to spot the ring on Neji's finger. He told himself that he was being slow because of the headache, the post-tank lethargy and the pain in his toe. He touched the ring and smiled. Neji kissed him.

Neji's face and the way he hovered told Shikamaru that he had scared them badly. Even Rin was being nice.

Annoyingly, no one would tell him anything, or give him clothes, or let him check that the laboratories were undamaged; they kept asking him what he wanted and then ignoring his requests.

In the end he waited for Neji to go to the head and then hacked into the ship's systems via one of the consoles in the infirmary. He almost fainted and Neji threw a fit but Shikamaru had seen the damage report and knew what Kabuto had taken with him when he got away.

It was enough to make a start.

"Can't I go back to the crew room?" he asked Rin next time she checked him. "Please? We'd all be much more comfortable there."

"You are too weak to walk that far," Rin told him.

"Naruto will carry me," Shikamaru argued. "I'll get into less trouble with Iruka-sensei watching me," he reminded her.

Rin sighed and acquiesced.

It was good to see Na-chan. Neji had explained that he had been there earlier, when Shikamaru had been moved from the tank and before he had woken, which explained the pain in Shikamaru's toe.

"You didn't have to tweak my toe so hard," he whispered as Naruto wrapped him in the bedcover and lifted him.

"Did," Naruto told him. "You would not wake up. Everyone was worried. Neji was more than worried."

Shikamaru relaxed into Naruto's arms; by the Lady, no one should smell so good or have skin like that. He recalled what Kabuto had told them about Naruto; that he had been designed and built as a one-off to some rich man's specification. It explained a lot.

Naruto placed him on one of the couches in the crew room, his back supported by a mound of pillows. Iruka-sensei leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Haku and Neji are sorting out your room," he told him.

Shikamaru flushed slightly; the clothes shop had proved to be the most successful of all their scenarios and had therefore lasted the longest. He hoped that Haku kept all the props.

"I would prefer to stay out here for now," he admitted.

He leaned back against the pillows. Naruto had gone to help Haku and Neji. Shikamaru's eyes kept closing and he knew he was drifting away. He dozed. When he opened his eyes he saw Sasuke sitting on a chair watching him.

He looked worse than Neji.

"We underestimated Kabuto," Shikamaru told him.

"I messed up," Sasuke insisted.

"No, we all did. Any of us could have stopped it. We were all tricked into thinking that it was a little bit risky when it was downright dangerous." He checked Iruka's location. "I need a console in my room and we need to jump to a system with a gate and light speed communications relay."

Sasuke nodded.

"And I am going to contact Klennethon Darrent," Shikamaru told him.

Sasuke stiffened.

"He has other sources of information and incredible resources. I think he will be angry that someone other than him has been messing with our heads. He won't like the idea of Kabuto having the tissue samples. He'll be interested in the miniature Mulligan drive."

Sasuke scowled. "He probably sold it to Kabuto," he complained.

"I wish he had," Shikamaru replied. "Then he could tell us where to find him." He saw Iruka studying them from the galley. "We have to keep our commitments to Temari and Gaara. It will be a stretch." Iruka was walking purposefully towards them. "Trouble," he warned.

"Sasuke-kun!" Iruka scolded.

Sasuke adopted his best innocent look. Shikamaru was impressed; combined with exhaustion it made Sasuke look fourteen again. He could see Iruka melting.

"You must allow Shika-kun to rest," he insisted.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke replied, with much contrition and eyelashes.

Neji was angry when he saw the console. Shikamaru had expected him to be worried, perhaps exasperated, but not angry. He thought Neji might snatch it away from him so he quickly downloaded what he had been working on to the laboratory and hid it under the bedcovers.

"Damn Sasuke," Neji hissed. "You are meant to be resting."

"I am resting," Shikamaru complained. "I am in bed where I can fall asleep any time I feel the urge. If I wasn't resting I would be in the laboratory."

"You can't stand for more than a few minutes, never mind get to the laboratory. We… I…" Neji trailed off, unable to verbalise his fears for Shikamaru's safety.

Shikamaru pulled him down and kissed him. "I am going to be fine. Rin has agreed that I knocked myself out and that there is no evidence that my blood oxygen level fell to a dangerously low level. Once I am over the effects of the tank I will be back to normal."

"You didn't wake up," Neji reminded him. "You scared us. I have never seen Kakashi-san like that."

Shikamaru was surprised or disconcerted, he was not sure which; Iruka he could believe, but Kakashi?

"I have something to offer you," Neji added.

The shy tone to Neji voice warned Shikamaru that they were no longer talking about the console or Kakashi. Shikamaru watched Neji's hand open. On the palm was a very simple silver ring.

"It was my mother's love ring to my father," Neji told him.

Shikamaru's heart was racing; so much for resting. Some of him was touched that Neji should give him a ring which meant so much to him; the rest would have preferred him to have chosen a less significant ring from Sasuke's box. He waited.

"Will you wear my love ring, Shika?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru did not hesitate. "Yes, I would be honoured," he replied.

Neji slipped the ring onto Shikamaru's heart finger. It looked good there; a flashier ring would have clashed with his duty ring. Shikamaru accepted Neji's kiss, when initiated one of his own.

Shikamaru spent the first part of the night crafting his communication to Klennethon Darrent. He knew that Neji would be cross if he found out but it was partly Neji's fault for refusing to sleep in Shikamaru's bed. Yes, he had taken the console but, no, of course that was not the only one; Sasuke had brought three.

He had decided on the complete opposite to the communication that Klennethon Darrent had sent him on Tarrasade. That message had been compact, intricate and involved. Shikamaru's would be a facsimile of a pen and paper letter, apparently written by hand.

_Dear __Klennethon-san_

_Knowing your interest in the unfolding tale of the New Uchiha, I thought that I would take the liberty of informing you of a few developments._

_Your gift has proved invaluable, facilitating our travels. We have several new recruits including two new cats, one male and one female, and another female crewmember. We were recently joined by Sasuke-sama's brother, who is unfortunately incapacitated due to illness, and his Companion._

_Business is good. We are starting on a new venture that must remain confidential at his time. Hopefully I will be able to give you more details in my next letter._

_There is a matter about which I would like to seek your advice. We have recently had dealings with a scientist called Kabuto__. He was invited on to our ship as a guest to consult with Rin-san about age retard for Naruto-san. This was in response to the information you yourself brought to Sasuke-sama's notice._

_Initially, the consultation progressed well. Kabuto gave Rin-san leads about age retard treatments and even shed light on Naruto-san's origins. Unfortunately, he took advantage of his status as guest. He attacked the ship with mink-human hybrids, invaded our infirmary, stole our tissue bank and kidnapped both Sasuke-sama's brother and __Natsuhi-san. He then escaped by jumping through an ungated hole in a ship no bigger than the Sakura._

_We wish to discuss this matter face-to-face with Kabuto and retrieve what is ours. I was wondering of you had any information that would help us in our quest to locate him._

_Looking forward to hearing from you soon_

_With wishes for your continued good health_

_Shikamaru._

_P.S. I have initiated a new sport, Snuffer hunting, are you interested?_

He packaged and addressed the 'letter' appropriately and set the communication to send as soon as they were in contact with a light-speed communication relay.

After that he examined the initial results of the queries he had presented to the data crystal array. He then incorporated the data that Rin had collected by autopsying some of the mink-human hybrid bodies. Next on his list was combing though the information Kakashi had gleaned from every scrap Kabuto had left on the Oak, which had been collected and laid out in one of the storage holds; Shikamaru would want to view the evidence for himself but second-hand would have to do for now. Finally, he reviewed the returns from the query he was running about Bara, the ancient hybrid engineer.

He was beginning to drift again, so he made absolutely certain he had downloaded the console's contents and then hid it. Some more sleep would be good; he had to be able to convince Neji, Iruka and Rin to allow him to attend the strategy meeting Sasuke had planned for the coming afternoon.

In the end, Sasuke asked Rin whether it was risky to Shikamaru's health for him to attend the strategy meeting. She reluctantly said it was not, so Shikamaru was there. He had even walked there, although it had left him shaky to do so; asking Naruto to carry him would have sparked off another round of argument.

As usual, the meeting started larger and would contract down to Sasuke, Kakashi, Neji and Shikamaru once the general discussion had finished; it was always left up to Naruto to choose if he wished to opt in to the second half. This time Shino, Rin, Kisame, Asuma, Iruka, Izumo and Gai had been invited. As always, one of the cats was on duty to fetch, carry and serve refreshments; it was Inari.

Both Iruka and Neji scowled at Shikamaru as he asked Inari for coffee.

"Shikamaru-san is drinking tea or water," Rin announced.

Shikamaru sighed and accepted a cup of tea.

Once everyone had been offered refreshments, Sasuke began by asking for reports from Izumo, Shino, Rin, Iruka and Kakashi. Shikamaru monitored what they said, taking note of the occasional titbit of information or interesting intonation. He had one question for Izumo, two for Rin and would have had many for Kakashi if Kakashi had not pre-empted him.

"I think we should hear from Shikamaru-san," Kakashi suggested. "I am sure, despite everyone's efforts, he has a considerable amount to report." He slid the portable console and the pointer across the table.

Shikamaru flushed but caught both deftly. His fingers danced across the console, inputting commands. A huge three-dimensional diagram appeared above the table.

"This is a low resolution topological map of known space based on known gated and ungated holes. We can zoom in and see any section at higher resolution as required. I propose we map all leads about Kabuto's movements or whereabouts for the last twenty-five standards on this map. So far I have this."

Hundreds of small dots and arrows appeared. They were concentrated in one sector.

"Brighter is more recent. As you can see, the more recent information is scattered. This…" Shikamaru pointed to a small cluster of blue lights. "…is the most recent information and includes Kabuto's meeting with us. I can then add what we know about communications." A multitude of thin yellow lines appeared, of varying brightness, snaking across the diagram. I can then add known associates and institutions he had been involved with." Some red dots appeared. By adding more and more information as it arrives, I hope to identify some likely locations to investigate. I will prepare enquires that we will send to a variety of sources as soon as we reach a jump gate with a light speed communications relay and a set of hacking worms to interrogate some institutions that will not willing share information, for example the Central Civil Service research institutes and various libraries." He looked directly at Kisame. "I will find him, it is merely a matter of how long it takes."

"When?" Neji asked. "When did you do this?" He waved a hand towards the diagram.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I had much of the information already. The biggest problem for us is that our plan for eliminating the slavers from Kaze requires us to travel untrod paths, while doing this…" He imitated Neji's wave. "…needs me to regularly hack light speed communication relays. I am going to suggest I train hacking teams and we send them out to dip into the data streams. Also, if we could get another Mulligan drive ship, that would be extremely useful, even without another improver."

There was silence. Shikamaru felt vaguely uncomfortable. Usually he invested time deciding how little he should tell them but he had rushed this. Even so, he had been proud of the diagram; he had felt that it would give the others some idea of how the search was progressing.

Finally Sasuke broke the silence. "Thank you, Shikamaru-san. As usual, your contribution is truly remarkable."

Shikamaru curled up in his chair. Was 'truly remarkable' welcome, or good, or anything other than incomprehensible? Then he saw Kakashi's smile. When Kakashi realised Shikamaru was looking at him he added a small nod. Shikamaru relaxed.

They took a short break between the two parts of the meeting. Shikamaru stayed in his chair with his feet pulled up under him to reduce the chances of him fainting. Izumo paused to speak to him.

"You are like Kotetsu is about drives and jump technology, only for you it is everything," Izumo observed. "I wish to say that the diagram is excellent. I know how hard it is for Kotetsu to make even me understand when he talks about drives and that is my area of expertise. You have a gift for explaining difficult things to normal people. That is rare in a genius."

Shikamaru felt his cheeks reddening. "Thank you, Izumo-san."

Izumo moved away and Shikamaru became aware of Kisame's eye on him.

"Yes, I believe you will find him, Shikamaru-san," Kisame told him. "Please inform me if there is anything I can do to help."

Shikamaru settled on a nod as the most appropriate reply.

Then everyone who was leaving had left, with the exception of Iruka who had come to sit close to him. "You are very pale, Shika-kun," Iruka informed him. "Maybe Sasuke should delay the second part of the meeting until after you have rested."

"I would prefer to keep going, Iruka-sensei and then have a long sleep," Shikamaru told him.

Iruka sighed but nodded. "I will send Tayuya or Konohamaru along with some broth for you. You will drink it. It will give you energy without a glucose rush." He leaned over as he stood up and kissed Shikamaru's forehead. He looked to Naruto. "I would prefer you to stay, Naruto-kun. While Shikamaru refuses to listen to Neji or to me, I know that you have ways of making him obey."

Naruto whiskers twitched. "I shall look after Shi-chan," he agreed. "I shall make him listen to Neji-san. I would not make the mistake of thinking that Sasuke would smuggle in only one console."

Neji and Iruka both looked at Sasuke, who had the grace to flush slightly. "You were fussing too much," he complained.

Kakashi laid a hand on his shoulder. "Stop quickly, Sasu-kun, before you say something you will truly regret."

Shikamaru had to confess that he was not at his best for the second part of the meeting but Sasuke and Kakashi were in excellent form so the operational plan developed nicely. He sat curled in his chair, sipping the broth Tayuya had delivered, checking for flaws and occasionally suggesting refinements. He would review the plan again after he had slept.

Naruto caught the cup as it slipped from Shikamaru's hand, which served to alert the others to the fact that Shikamaru was asleep.

"You had better put him to bed, Naruto-san," Neji suggested. "If he wakes up, tell him I will be along as soon as we have finished the meeting."

Naruto plucked Shikamaru from the chair as if he weighed nothing. "I would do so, Neji-san, but he will not wake until late tomorrow morning. When Shi-chan sleeps, Shi-chan sleeps soundly."


	70. Mosaic

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue the story.

* * *

_A note about time in these stories_

_'Standard' is shorthand for 'standard year'. This is necessary because each planet had a diffwerent length year. For readers, a 'standard year' is one of our years, an Earth year, but in the story that fact has been lost in time, as has the location of Earth (if it still exists)._

_A 'div' is short for a 'division' and there are ten divs in a standard._

_Minutes and seconds are, again, Earth minutes and seconds._

_A 'ship's day' is 1440 minutes (one of our days). Days on planets vary. Ship's chronometers count seconds, minutes, ship's days, divs and standards._

_Hours are not used except on some planets to break up the local day._

* * *

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**70. Mosaic**

* * *

Kabuto had lost twenty-one of his mink-human hybrids in the raid and another five opening the tissue bank. He terminated the remaining four and spaced the bodies; he had another twelve in cryogenic storage should he require them.

He considered activating a cat-human hybrid to fuck during the journey but decided against it. There was work he wished to do.

The woman had gifted him with a running start; there were stem cells from the hybrid in the tissue bank. Within a day he had sixty-four cloned zygotes. He would have liked more, a hundred or even five hundred, but he was too aware that the amount of original tissue was limited.

With his usual starting material he would be lucky to get one functional hybrid from sixty-four but these were stem cells from a Bara hybrid, so he was hoping for more.

Even with accelerated development, the embryos should not required transfer to gestators before he reached Jewel.

* * *

_Dear Shikamaru-kun_

_Thank you for your unexpected, informative and enjoyable letter. I hope that it will prove to be the first of many. I look forward to hearing about your business venture when circumstances permit._

_Your new sport of Snuffer hunting is intriguing. I would very much like to participate. Enclosed is a gift that may prove useful when identifying targets. You can be assured that I shall pay attention to any that prove persistently elusive._

_I was distressed to hear about your problem with the scientist, Kabuto; a relevant gift is attached._

_The miniature Mulligan drive is not unfamiliar to me; the technology is not mine but I know its source and I own a number of examples. May I suggest that you study the drive in detail to investigate whether it has a distinctive signature?_

_To do this you will require a drive of this type._

_I am interested in what the scientist said about Naruto-san's origins._

_It would be possible for Garner-san to rendezvous with you to negotiate a deal? As your need is urgent, he is already on his way to a hub that I suspect is closer to your current location. His contact details are enclosed._

_My regards to Sasuke-sama. I thought that he would appreciate this facsimile of a drawing in pastels by an artist I support._

_Wishing you safe travelling_

_Your admirer_

_Klennethon Darrent._

* * *

Inari gave Gai-san a false but reassuring smile and prepared to hack the light speed communication relay in the gate through which they had just jumped. He could not get Kakashi-sensei's voice out of his head.

"Neither Gai-san or Inoichi-san have taken to hacking, so it will be up to you. Get it wrong and not only will the journey be wasted but you will delay us finding Kabuto. Worst scenario, you will trigger the installation of better security. Shikamaru-san insists that you are more than capable of doing this. I am relying on you, Inari."

He wished for a moment that Kakashi had taken the other option and swapped Kunugi and Inoichi, but both Neji and Haku had counselled against trapping Gai and Kunugi together on a ship as small as the Snow Willow.

He could do this. He could justify Kakashi-sensei's faith in him. He took a deep breath and began.

* * *

Sasuke did not expect Shikamaru to turn up at his office with a hover platform. On the platform was a large display frame; Sasuke suspected it was from the dining hall. Shikamaru guided the hover platform to the wall opposite Sasuke's desk and then lowered it to the floor. He propped up the frame.

"We can attach it to the wall later," Shikamaru told him. "I recommend you sit down," he added. Then he turned on the frame.

It was his Naruto. It looked like he was walking away and Sasuke had called his name. He could imagine the moment. Naruto would stop, begin to turn towards him and smile exactly like that.

Sasuke had never before appreciated that a drawing could be more real than a hologram.

"Klennethon Darrent sent it for you," Shikamaru told him. "He also sent a packet of information to help us find Kabuto." He took a deep breath. "He wants to negotiate another deal."

Sasuke was distracted by the picture. Naruto was naked and the artist had used a medium that managed to convey the texture of his skin and the softness of his fur. The colours were glorious, like Naruto in sunlight.

"Sasuke-sama!" Shikamaru demanded.

"Sorry," Sasuke admitted. "What did you say?"

* * *

Konohamaru was acutely aware that he had been placed with Dan and Kunugi, both of whom had outperformed him in the hacking simulations. He felt like a spare part, particularly as Dan and Kunugi were such close friends.

Even Tayuya had been better at the hacking.

He pulled himself together. It was good experience for him to be on a small ship like the Lancet. Spare parts were necessary; Dan or Kunugi could get ill or injured. Dan-san was careful to include him by giving him responsibilities; he could still perform well.

Also there was what Haku had told him, that Kunugi still carried a torch for Dan even though Dan preferred women and now was with Rin. Haku had also briefed Konohamaru on Kunugi's likes, dislikes and fragilities.

Konohamaru sighed; he knew why Kakashi-san had put him, rather than Inari or Tayuya, with Dan and Kunugi.

* * *

Gaara viewed the communication Naruto had sent him and was angry.

This man, this Kabuto, had betrayed Gaara's friends' trust and stolen from them.

It was an odd sensation. He usually experienced anger for a fleeting moment before losing control. Gaara would have expected to be unconscious if he was wearing his controller or berserk if he were not.

He was not wearing his controller, he had not worn it since leaving the Oak, yet he was angry and not berserk.

Once his responsibilities were fulfilled, when the slavers had gone and Temari was leader, Gaara would help his friends hunt this Kabuto and reclaim what they had lost.

* * *

Naruto accompanied Shikamaru and Sasuke to Sasuke's office after the midday meal; there was something heavy Shi-chan wanted to hang on the office wall. It turned out to be one of the large display frames from the dining room. Naruto did not ask for reasons, just lifted the frame onto the fixings and held it in place while Shi-chan made it fast.

He was, however, suspicious of the speed with which Shi-chan made his exit.

"Don't you want to know what it is for, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Shi-chan always has his reasons."

Sasuke activated the frame.

It was him but not him. Did he look like that from behind? Naruto was not familiar with his back.

Then he smelt Sasuke and realised that Sasuke really liked the picture; Naruto was not sure if Sasuke could have the picture in his office if he liked it that much. Sasuke went to his office to work, not to think about fucking.

"Don't you like it?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "I would prefer a picture of you," he admitted. "Are you sure it should be in your office?"

Sasuke smiled, which made Naruto's insides flutter. "I have loaded some other images into the frame." He flicked through a few attractive landscapes and returned to the picture of Naruto.

They had locked the door and were beginning to shed clothes when Naruto found himself studying the picture.

"How did Shi-chan make the picture?" he asked.

Sasuke was removing Naruto's left boot. "He didn't, dobe. It isn't a camera image of you, it's a camera image of a drawing. Someone drew a picture of you on paper using coloured sticks."

Naruto stared. "Someone drew it?" he asked. "Who?"

"An artist called Kuroda," Sasuke told him. "You can see his signature in the corner."

"If this is an image, where is the drawing?"

Sasuke hesitated before replying. "Klennethon Darrent's collection,"

Naruto jumped to his feet and snatched his boot from Sasuke's hands. "Klennethon Darrent is looking at a drawing of me?"

"That was the deal, dobe. We let him image us and he gave the holograms to artists. One of the artists drew a picture of you. It's a beautiful picture, almost a beautiful as you."

"Being nice won't work, teme," Naruto warned him. "How did you get this image?"

"Klennethon Darrent sent it to Shikamaru with a letter. Shikamaru contacted him to help us find Kabuto."

Naruto did not like the idea of Shi-chan contacting Klennethon Darrent. Klennethon Darrent was tricky; Naruto did not trust Klennethon Darrent.

"What does he want?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke bit his lower lip. "He wants to know what Kabuto told us about where you came from. In return he will let Shikamaru and Kotetsu study one of the miniature Mulligan drives in the hope they can work out how to track Kabuto. Or that's what Shikamaru thinks he wants and he is offering. We would need to meet with Garner Parrod."

Naruto twitched his whiskers. "You tell him that he gives us the drive or we do not tell him what we know. He will give us the drive or he will chase Kabuto to find out. Either way we win."

* * *

Tayuya disliked Anko.

Anko disliked Tayuya.

The first day on Kisame's ship, the Spear, they had started to fall into the habits they developed on the Silver Leaf. Tayuya's mood deteriorated. Anko became overly critical. Tayuya said something. Anko was annoyed. Then Kisame had looked at them and pointed out, quietly, that he did not tolerate bad behaviour on his ship.

Anko now controlled her temper and Tayuya now held her tongue.

They were thankful that The Spear was larger than the Lancet and a great deal larger than the Snow Willow. It made avoiding each other just possible if they both worked at it.

* * *

Shikamaru almost missed it. He did not even know what had inspired him to look. He ran a comparison of hybrids' genetic material: Kisame's, Naruto's, Gaara's and Kabuto's mink-human hybrids. He concentrated on control sequences because Kabuto had said that it was the epigenetics that made the difference.

There were similarities between the mink-human hybrids and Gaara.

Shikamaru remembered Temari telling him about the scientist who had come to her father offering an army of hybrid fighters to tackle the slavers. He could not recall the scientist's name.

Several searches later he had it.

Amachi.

* * *

Haku hated Kabuto.

Before Kabuto life had been good. Haku loved being a member of what outsiders would call a crew and what Naruto insisted was a family. He worked with Iruka-sensei to look after everyone. He had his crew room. He had some crewmates who were happier because Haku paid them special attention, like Inoichi, Kunugi and Tatsuji, and others who just needed the occasional fuck, like Gai and Choza. He had been helping Neji. Rin said he had potential as a therapist.

Then there had been Konohamaru and Kisame.

Haku was not sure what had been happening between him and Konohamaru. Unlike the others, Konohamaru did not need him; he and Kono-kun fucked purely for fun. Haku had thought he did not need Konohamaru, but he missed him when he was on the Lancet.

Becoming overly fond of Konohamaru was, Haku knew, unwise. The man Konohamaru would grow into would not choose someone like Haku as his partner. Kono-kun would want more. Haku saw the way he looked at Naruto; Haku was nowhere near as special as Naruto.

He understood his relationship with Kisame better. They shared history. Haku was proud of being the only person who had ever managed to tempt Kisame out of his self-imposed celibacy. They had fucked regularly since Kisame had come to the Oak.

Being with Kisame reminded Haku of the best parts of being with Zabuza.

No longer hindered by hero-worship, Haku had admitted that his relationship with Zabuza had been always been abusive. Kisame was a far better man than Zabuza. Kisame would never fuck a boy as young as Haku had been when he and Zabuza first met. Nor would he offer Haku to others in order to gain a place in a crew, or to settle a debt, or in a wager. Kisame was one of the kindest men Haku knew.

Haku had hoped that Itachi would slowly waste away in the tank, preferably taking many standards to do so, and that by the time he died Kisame's loyalty would have transferred to Sasuke and his children. One day, perhaps, Kisame would be ready to acknowledge what Haku felt for him.

Instead Kisame could not look at Haku, never mind allow Haku to touch him. It was almost as if Kisame believed that fucking Haku had caused Itachi's abduction. Haku found himself dreading Kisame being on the Oak between missions; it hurt so much when Kisame looked through him.

Haku hated Kabuto.

* * *

Garner Parrod was surprised that it was Naruto who kept the rendezvous at the club on Petersville. He looked about, expecting Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji but there was only Naruto with the trio of Uchiha warriors, Hamaki, Terai and Fu.

"There will be no negotiation, Garner-san," Naruto told him. "I will tell Klennethon Darrent about me in return for a miniature Mulligan drive of the type Kabuto is using. Your ship will do."

Garner Parrod stared at the hybrid. His every instinct told him that what Naruto would tell him would be worth more than his ship. "My ship has an improver as well as a miniature Mulligan drive of the type you require," he admitted.

Naruto's whiskers twitched. He shrugged. "Your ship for the information," he repeated.

* * *

Izumo was watching Kotetsu drool over the new Mulligan drive. The entire ship, the Dart, was gorgeous. The build quality was impeccable. He was astonished that Naruto had obtained such a beauty for one hologram and a few words.

"Shikamaru wants an answer about whether the drive can be tracked before we get back to the Oak," he reminded Kotetsu.

Kotetsu's eyes came back into focus. "There will be residual radiation at the hole," he confirmed. "We may even be able to distinguish between individual drives. We may be able to build a detector if we have good enough data from the hole Kabuto used."

Izumo hoped that the data they had collected was adequate. Shikamaru had been unconscious at the time, so it would depend on what decisions Shino-san had taken.

* * *

Klennethon Darrent was puzzled and more than a little irritated when he received the message explaining that Garner Parrod was making his way back via gated holes in a newly purchased yacht.

Then he decrypted the rest of the information. He started at the hologram of the design on the fox-human hybrid's abdomen.

He had been in the presence of one of Bara's hybrids.

The ship was a small price to pay.

* * *

Kabuto was pleased with the embryos' progress. Twenty-three of the sixty-four still might develop into functional hybrids. For the time being, he had only frozen eight of the others and was allowing the other thirty-three to grown deformed; there was as much information to be gained from failure as success.

He had sent instructions forward when in a system with a suitable light-speed communication relay; the gestators would be prepped by the time he arrived.

* * *

Kisame's fury still simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil. He continued to put distance between himself and others. He had asked Kakashi to allow him to hack the light speed communication relays alone. When Kakashi would not allow it, Kisame had asked for females. He would never attack a female.

He was Itachi's Companion, his bodyguard, yet Itachi had been stolen. Kisame should have been sleeping across the doorway of the side room where the tank was, not in a contented stupor in the crew room after Haku had ridden his prick.

It was not Haku's fault. Haku was Haku.

Avoiding and ignoring Haku hurt the lad, Kisame knew that, but it was better than losing his temper and snapping Haku's spine.

Each day he was on the Oak he would ask Shikamaru to see the diagram and Shikamaru would show him. It usually looked depressingly similar to the day before but occasionally there was a jump forward, like when Shikamaru incorporated the information from Klennethon Darrent and when he cross-referenced Kabuto to Amachi.

In time, six front-running locations emerged. Shikamaru investigated each. One yielded the name Orochimaru. Orochimaru had links to Amachi.

The system was Jewel.


	71. Gaara

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue the story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**71. Gaara**

* * *

Gaara and Temari stood in docking bay four of the Oak. The airlock of Kankuro's ship, the Puppet Master, opened and he led his men down the steps. They bowed to Gaara.

Before they straightened, Mukade and Yura were dead, their necks broken. Gaara stood over the bodies.

"Traitors," he said simply.

The other four warriors managed not to cower. Kankuro merely looked at his brother; he was never surprised when Gaara killed.

"There are four aspects to the plan," Temari began once they were gathered in the meeting room. "First, we establish the new gates, which contain light-speed communications relays. Second, we take over communications and issue ultimatums. Third, we lead an uprising in major population centres while the Sunagakure hit specific targets. Fourth, we destroy any slaver ships that have not run. The Uchiha are responsible for the first step and will assist with the fourth."

Baki, Kankuro's second in command, turned to his superior. "There will be a new network of gates that we will control?" he checked.

"That is Temari-san's plan," Gaara told him. "She has discovered the Lost Planet. This treasure has allowed us to buy the gates that will lead us to freedom."

Shikamaru and the others sworn to Uchiha stayed silent. They had agreed that this was the best course. Temari would take full credit for the plan.

Kankuro had reluctantly agreed because he wished to minimise public knowledge of Uchiha's role; Temari was known to be a prominent member of the Sunagakure and it was believable that the plan was hers.

He did not know that Gaara intended to step aside for Temari to become leader, which would be easier once she had been cast as the saviour of her people. Resistance to a female leader would be diminished.

It seemed to be working. Even Baki, a confirmed misogynist, was treating her with newfound respect.

* * *

Having the Dart made the tricky task of delivering the gates and the gaters easier. The small ship was powerful so had no problems towing two of the gaters' factories and the Snow Willow. One factory and the Snow Willow were deposited one the nearside of the hole and then the Dart jumped and loosed the second factory. With one ship on either side of the hole, the gaters and their factories were protected.

With the Dart assigned to the least accessible hole, the Oak could deliver factories and guarding ships to the other five. With six holes they required twelve guarding ships; Uchiha were providing eight and the Sunagakure the other four.

They broke the Sakura into her three components: the Sakura herself, the Cherry and the Blossom. The Cherry was essentially Sasuke's escape pod. It consisted of its own drive, Naruto's gun turret, a tiny control room and very limited accommodation. In an extreme emergency, Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji would flee using the Cherry.

The Blossom was tiny, fast, manoeuvrable and bristled with weaponry. It was the Uchiha final line of defence, in extremis it would be a kamikaze craft, and Hamaki, Terai and Fu were fiercely proud that they had been chosen to man it.

The other three Uchiha ships were the Lancet, the Spear and the Silver Leaf. The Sunagakure ships were the Puppet Master, the Gourd and two others that would be captained by Baki and by Isago, another of the warriors who had been briefed on the Oak.

Shikamaru believed that they could establish all the gates within two standard days, long before the slavers had a chance of realising what was happening. The gaters had been stunned by the concept; gating a new network usually took standards. However, they had taken the contract and appeared to understand the consequences of reneging, helped by the knowledge that there was an armed spaceship within range of each of their factories.

The next trick was to make sure each ship was in the best position. The Gourd and the Silver Leaf had to be able to make it to Kaze I as quickly as possible once the network was established. The Puppet Master had to be delayed, but not by an obvious or significant amount.

Three days later the Kaze system was free of the slavers.

Establishing the network of gates had proceeded without a hitch. The slavers had remained in ignorance; the first they had known was when Shikamaru's worms had infested the communication systems across the entire Kaze system, handing control to the Sunagakure. The same message was everywhere: this was the dawn of new future; the new network of gates had opened the doors of their prison; the slavers had one day to leave before they were killed; Temari-sama was the heroine of what she hoped would be a bloodless uprising.

The slavers fled, the collaborators were slaughtered and the celebrations erupted.

* * *

Prominent citizens, the Sunagakure and the elite warriors gathered in the Great Hall in Suna. Gaara stood on the platform, the area around him empty despite the hall being crowded. He wore the ceremonial robes he hated.

"This is the dawn of a new future," he announced.

There was cheering. That was nice. Usually anything he said was met by terrified silence.

"And for this new future you need a new leader."

The cheering died away.

"A leader who understands how to build and to nurture."

There was puzzled silence.

"Not a leader who terrifies you into submission. Not a warlord. I and my brother and our father and grandfather before us fought the slavers. We failed.

"Where we failed, Temari-sama has succeeded.

"She will lead you into a new and better future."

He walked towards where Temari stood as the public face of the Sunagakure. The people around her moved away. Gaara put out his hand. Temari looked at him in surprise but rested her hand on his and walked back to the centre of the platform. He slid out of the ceremonial robes and draped them about Temari's shoulders. He then knelt before her.

"I Gaara, son of Karura, abdicate as leader of Kaze, in favour of my eldest sibling, Temari. I pledge my allegiance to her and offer her my services as her champion."

He then went and stood behind and to the side of her.

They waited.

Kankuro was very still. Gaara was suddenly anxious. He had considered two alternatives; either Kankuro would challenge for leadership or he would pledge allegiance. They had not discussed the consequences of him doing nothing, or walking away, or leading a mass attack on his siblings.

Finally he moved forward. To Gaara's relief he knelt in front of Temari.

"I Kankuro, son of Karura, pledge my allegiance to my elder sister, Temari-sama. I offer my services as her champion."

He took up his position on the other side of Temari.

A new era had begun.

"What will you do?" Kankuro asked when the three siblings were finally alone.

"I would like to leave," Gaara admitted. "Naruto-san had shown me that it is possible for a berserker hybrid to do more than survive while trying not to kill." He looked at his brother. "Will you stand in my place at Temari's side? Will you release me from the remainder of my commitments?"

Kankuro held his gaze for the first time since they were children together. "It will also be better for me if you go," he concurred. "I stand fully behind my pledge to Temari-sama. I will be her warlord. It will suit us both."

Gaara nodded. "Thank you, Kankuro-san."

Kankuro hesitated before answering. "It is little in return for the life you have led for us, Gaara-kun," he admitted.

* * *

Gaara stepped out of the Gourd. He was not surprised to see Naruto waiting for him in the docking bay. He was suddenly convinced that Naruto was intending to hug him and Gaara really did not want to pass out so soon after his arrival.

"Please keep your distance, Naruto-san," he requested.

Naruto settled for one of his fabulous smiles.

Gaara felt a surge of something, then the familiar sequence of confusion, fear, anger and darkness.

He was propped up against a wall when he woke. Naruto was crouched a suitable distance away.

"I came to offer my assistance in hunting and killing Kabuto," Gaara informed him, "but I may be of limited use to you like this."

Naruto's whiskers twitched. "Your help is welcome. There are days when there is much to do and days when I feel helpless." He considered. "May I talk to you?"

Gaara blinked. No one had ever wished to talk to him. "I am your friend, Naruto-san," he answered. "I believe friends listen and talk."

Naruto smiled at him. This time Gaara's reaction was less acute and he managed to stop at the confusion stage. What did Naruto make him feel when he smiled? Was it happiness?

"I have set aside a guest apartment for you," Naruto told him, "I know you may not be able to use it yet, but I thought you could get used to the idea. I got Shikamaru and Shino to make it so you could drop the temperature in the bedroom if you wanted to hibernate. Would you like to see it?"

Gaara could see that Naruto had thought a lot about the apartment. There were no hard surfaces or edges; even the floor coverings were thick, so that he would not hurt himself when he passed out. The colours were very subdued and there was no decoration. It would be a good next step when Gaara was ready to leave his ship.

"Is Sasuke-sama all right with me staying?" Gaara asked when they had settled onto chairs in the main room of the apartment.

"You are my friend," Naruto answered as if that explained everything.

Which perhaps it did; if there was one thing Gaara did not doubt, it was how much Sasuke Uchiha loved his Naruto.

"I blamed Sasuke for Kabuto raiding the infirmary," Naruto told Gaara. "So now I can't talk to him about it, because it makes him feel bad."

Gaara considered what Naruto had said. "Was it his fault?" he asked.

Naruto frowned. "Mostly," he decided. "He wants me to live longer than I will and he wants me to age slowly, like a purebred on age retard. That's why Rin contacted Kabuto."

"So in a way it is your fault," Gaara suggested.

Naruto's frown deepened into a scowl.

"If you were not as you are, he would not love you so much and he wouldn't make stupid decisions because he can't bear the thought of losing you," Gaara explained.

"That's a silly way of looking at it," Naruto complained.

"No more than you not understanding why he can't bear the thought of having to live most of his life without you," Gaara argued. "It won't be you suffering. You'll be dead."

Naruto stared at him. Slowly he started to laugh.

Then Gaara found himself laughing and passed out from the shock.

"I asked Rin," Naruto told him some time after he had regained consciousness. "She says he could have already cloned me because there were stem cells in the tissue bank."

Gaara shuddered. He had looked at the copy of Amachi's log that his father had insisted he leave in the archives. "I was one from five hundred," he admitted. "Amachi, the scientist, he only implanted me. The rest died or were terminated."

"Babies that don't work," Naruto whispered. "I didn't want babies that do not work. We chose Sasuke's babies, little Uchihas, who will work and live a long time because they are purebred." He looked at Gaara. "Would you like to see our babies?"

Gaara guessed that this was not an offer you declined if you were Naruto's friend.

There weren't many people in the crew room, which was good, but the crew room was very different from anything Gaara had experienced before, which was stressful. He was introduced to a man called Iruka, who was obviously important to Naruto. Gaara did not say much but tried to be polite. He suspected that Naruto had told Iruka about him because Iruka kept his distance and was very calm.

The room smelt very strongly of Naruto, Sasuke and fucking. Gaara stopped himself imagining what it would be like to have a mate and a den. Naruto led him through an opening and into what he called the nursery. There were three gestators on a platform.

Naruto projected images of each developing baby in turn. Gaara used up his meagre supply of appropriate phrases and resorted to noises of acknowledgement. Naruto was too proud and happy to mind.

Then they went to sit in the galley. Gaara suspected this was a family ritual. Naruto asked if he would like tea and Gaara decided to risk it. Iruka made it for them but then insisted he was busy and left them alone.

"We have about thirty minutes before they all start arriving for the midday meal," Naruto warned him.

Gaara took an exploratory sip of the tea. It was hot and the taste was not too strong. "Tell me about the search for Kabuto," he suggested.

They had made astounding progress; Gaara was in awe of Shikamaru's abilities. They were now on their way to the Jewel system in the far fringe with the intention of investigating whether Kabuto had been there recently or, possibly, was there.

"What will you do if he is there?" Gaara asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I do not know," he admitted. "We need more information."

Gaara considered. "Does he know of your link to me?" he asked.

"No," Naruto replied. "I don't think so."

"You bring that to Shikamaru's attention," Gaara suggested. "Maybe he can think of a way of using it."

Gaara went back to his ship before the crewmembers began arriving for their midday meal. He ate some food, thinking that the tea had tasted more interesting than the bland rations he allowed himself. He then found a towel, sat in his chair, pushed down his pants and masturbated.

Sleeping was the best thing his controller allowed him to do. Masturbating was the second best thing. Whilst he still always passed out, there had been three occasions when he had managed to climax just before losing control. Gaara was determined to increase that tally.

This time he thought about Naruto and Sasuke's den. He was in a den of his own with his mate. The mate's face was unclear, but Gaara was fine with that for now. He tried imagining a female mate but the thought of a male mate was more exciting. He imagined the hand on his penis being his mate's rather than his own.

Four!

Confusion, fear, anger and darkness.


	72. Messages

Thank you for the reviews. They are much appreciated.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**Any scenes that have been considered too graphic have been replaced by ********oo*****oo**

**Warning: this chapter includes reference to rape and other violence.**

* * *

**72. Messages**

* * *

Kabuto pushed confidence into his gait, his posture and his expression; weakness was never an option with a future.

Orochimaru was standing, which was bad. There was the used body of a cat-human hybrid discarded in the corner, which was worse. Kabuto stopped at his usual place and waited to be acknowledged.

He did not flinch or raise a hand in defence when Orochimaru closed the distance between them and struck him, backhanded, across the face.

******oo*****oo**

Orochimaru turned him over, put one arm under his knees, another under his arms and lifted him. Kabuto knew what was coming. He shut his eyes and began the silent mantra, 'He doesn't care. He doesn't care. Whatever he says, he does not care. He is incapable of caring.'

"You should not make me do that, Kabu-chan," he whispered as he carried Kabuto across the room to the large chair. He sat with Kabuto in his lap, cradled in his arms. Orochimaru rocked him and cooed at him. Despite everything he knew and all he had experienced, Kabuto desperately wanted it to continue.

He woke lying on a bed. Orochimaru lay beside him but on top of the bedcover, fully clothed. Discarded on the quilt was the hypospray used to wake him.

"I have decided to forgive you for not bringing him to me," Orochimaru told him. "But not for starting the embryos. You did not have permission for starting the embryos. Later, you will be punished."

Kabuto knew that starting the embryos was the correct decision. Whatever he said now, Orochimaru would be intrigued by them. It was important to keep him interested and have experiments with which to distract him.

"Kisame the sharkman is on the ship with the fox-human hybrid," Kabuto told him. "That is why I brought you Itachi Uchiha. The sharkman will come for him."

Orochimaru was pleased. Kabuto could tell. He toyed with keeping the best news for the future, but Orochimaru might punish him for delaying.

"The fox-human hybrid is by Bara. His mark is perfect."

His master smiled. He kissed Kabuto gently on the lips. "You are forgiven," he whispered.

* * *

Orochimaru reread Kabuto's report, noting the omissions as well as the inclusions. Kabuto was his best slave because he did not believe he was enslaved; he was deluded enough to believe that he had an identity beyond that of Orochimaru's tool. He even had pride, which made him surprisingly resilient. It was amusing.

Bringing the woman's tanked body illustrated one of Kabuto's strengths; he used his initiative. The symbiote was interesting. The work the medico, Rin, had done on alternative ways of activating it was promising. The fact that activating the symbiote damaged the host did not bother him; most of his tools were short-lived. Infecting some hybrids with the symbiote would be an interesting experiment.

What required more thought was how to trap Bara's hybrid and whether the sharkman was a means to that end.

He made his way to the laboratory. Kabuto was transferring the most promising of the embryos to gestators. Orochimaru was still annoyed with him for beginning the experiment without permission but that did not prevent him spending an enjoyable fifty minutes examining and analysing some of the discarded embryos. They even had a discussion about which of the deformed embryos should be grown on. It was pleasant.

"You are to run a full diagnostic on Itachi Uchiha," Orochimaru told him. "I want to wake him, if that is possible."

Kabuto looked up from the embryo he was transferring.

"Later today will be soon enough," Orochimaru decided.

* * *

Itachi did not recognise the room nor remember how he had got there. Recalling anything was difficult. He would reach for a memory only to have it slip away. He felt weak. What he could see of himself was thin, almost wasted. His limbs ached. Had he been tanked?

Where was Kisame?

He was in a treatment bed, restrained by straps about his torso and limbs. It was not the Uchiha household. It was not any ship he recognised.

A man with grey hair and round eyeglasses entered the room; Itachi guessed he was a medico. He had a white coat and a tablet. He sat on a chair beside the bed.

"Do you know your name?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Itachi demanded.

The man made a note on his tablet. "I am Kabuto. I am the medico in charge of your case. I need you to answer my questions. Do you know your name?"

"Yes, but I have no intention of sharing it with you," Itachi told him. "I demand you find someone I know and can trust."

The man smiled. "You mean Kisame. Kisame is all you have left."

Itachi did not know what he meant by that. Why was Kisame all he had left? What about his crew? What about his clan? He grabbed at some memories but they slithered away.

"It will be easier if you cooperate," Kabuto informed him.

"Go fuck yourself," Itachi replied.

The smile Kabuto gave him made Itachi's flesh creep. "I can assure you that it will not be me being fucked, Itachi-san," he replied.

* * *

Kabuto was amazed that a man that weak was capable of such a vicious and effective defence. He managed to put three of the bull-human hybrids out of action. However the remaining two plus three others had done the many tasks Orochimaru had assigned to them. Kabuto had expected the proud and arrogant man to fold and start begging, they almost always did, but the sorry wreck that was left was as defiant as before, even spitting in his face. Kabuto took the precaution of sedating him before returning him to the tank.

Orochimaru was viewing the holoprojection when Kabuto answered his summons.

"Interesting," he observed. "Not what I expected, but it will do. It is so much more powerful if there is no sign of editing."

* * *

Sasuke was reviewing reports when Shikamaru walked into his office without knocking. He was unusually pale.

"The Dart returned this morning," Shikamaru told him.

Sasuke knew that. The further they went into the fringe, the longer it took a conventional ship to reach a gate with a light speed communication relay. Sending the Dart to hack the relays was the best option. This time it had been crewed by Dan, Kunugi and Konohamaru.

"As part of the hack, I get our correspondence, the stuff that would normally be downloaded to us when we jumped through a gate with a relay. Most of it is addressed to the ship or to you but this time there was a message for Kisame."

He leaned over Sasuke's console and inputted some commands.

"In the circumstances, I decided to open it," Shikamaru admitted.

Sasuke was about to scold him for invading Kisame's privacy when a holoprojection sprung to life over his desk.

It was Itachi. He was conscious and alert, although he was far too thin and his skin had a unhealthy yellow tinge. He was in a white, bright, well-lit room that contained apparatus that Sasuke did not recognise.

He was looking for a way out.

Then the monsters arrived.

He fought them. Sasuke could not help but be proud of the way he fought. But they won, because every time one of them fell it was replaced by another.

Once they had him subdued they began.

He was transfixed by the horror of it. Shikamaru allowed it to run for about five minutes; to Sasuke it was endless. Once Shikamaru had deactivated the projector, Sasuke started at the empty space over his desk.

"It's thirty-seven minutes long, it gets progressively worse, I can find no sign of tampering and, yes, he is still alive at the end of it," Shikamaru told him.

"You watched it all?" Sasuke whispered.

"No," Shikamaru admitted. "I looked at stills at half minute intervals. Sasuke, what do we do? When Kisame sees it…"

"Get Kakashi and Asuma," Sasuke ordered.

"You have to let him see it and you have to let him make his own decision of what to do," Kakashi told him.

"Or you have to kill him," added Asuma, "because if he thinks you kept this from him or stopped him going to Itachi, he will kill you."

"The meeting room," Shikamaru suggested. "Everything in the meeting room is replaceable. I'll set it up down there while one of you talks to him."

* * *

Kakashi and Asuma waited in the corridor. Kakashi was glad that the room was so thoroughly soundproofed; it had been the sounds that had made the holoprojection so immediate and real.

He studied Asuma out of the corner of his eye. Did Asuma suffer from the same ambivalence? Part of Kakashi thought Itachi deserved every horrific moment while the rest yammered that he was Uchiha and Kakashi should be protecting him. To make it worse, in the small part he had watched, Itachi was so… …Itachi; fine and proud and defiant. That look on his face was the one that had invariably led to Fugaku-kyou beating him; or worse.

The door opened. Kisame did not charge out on his way to his ship. There was no sound.

"Get in here," Kisame demanded.

They cautiously entered the room. Kisame was sitting at the table with a tablet.

"None of you watched it though," Kisame stated. He tapped a command into the tablet and the holoprojection sprang to life. It was from near the beginning.

Kisame had to be showing them for a reason. Kakashi concentrated on the small details. Itachi's arm was hanging down the side of the bench. His hand was jerking.

It was long-short. "Don't overreact, Kisame," Itachi had signalled. "He wants that. He won't kill me. He wants you not me."

Kisame froze the projection. "There is much more," he told them. He jumped the projection to the end, when Itachi's bleeding body had been reduced to a crumpled heap on the floor.

Still Itachi's hand moved. "Don't overreact, Kisame," he repeated. "That is an order."

"I have transcribed everything," Kisame informed them. "And I have sent a copy to Shikamaru. Itachi is certain there is someone controlling Kabuto. Perhaps this Orochimaru whose name came up in the search. And the gravity is right for Jewel." He sat up straighter. "They will not know I have received the message, because it was hacked rather than delivered. That gives us more time."

Kakashi was suspicious of Kisame's mood. How could he have watched that and not have torn apart the room? "And you, Kisame-san, how do you feel?" he asked.

Kisame looked at the space above the table that the holoprojection had occupied. "This is how the old Itachi would have reacted," he admitted. "Before," he clarified.

Asuma snorted. "There is no way back to 'before', Kisame," he reminded him.

* * *

Orochimaru was prowling. Kabuto wished he would sit in his chair. It was safer when he was sitting down.

"Still no confirmation that the sharkman has received the message," he complained.

Kabuto did not respond.

"Aren't you going to remind me that they have a Mulligan drive and are therefore using ungated holes?" Orochimaru sneered.

Kabuto had no intention of repeating that error. To his relief, Orochimaru chose to sit.

"The symbiote killed the hybrids," he mused. "We need to try it in a purebred. How is Itachi Uchiha progressing?"

"Well, Orochimaru-sama. The bullmen were careful to stay within the parameters you set them." Kabuto suddenly wondered about the proximity of the two topics. "Itachi Uchiha as a host for the symbiote?" he queried.

Orochimaru's amber eyes bored into him. "Who else? You?"

Kabuto decided not to question the wisdom of giving superhuman powers to someone who was already a formidable fighter. He had always managed to avoid becoming a test subject and intended to continue to do so. "I will be honoured to comply with your decision, Orochimaru-sama," he replied.

Orochimaru relaxed slightly. "Perhaps we should acquire a purebred from the street and try it on him first," he admitted. "See to it. Is there anything else of interest?"

Kabuto decided to tell him. "There was an intriguing item among my correspondence," he began. "It is from the only surviving hybrid from Amachi's venture in the Kaze system. He says that he had read my work and wonders if I have any idea of Amachi's whereabouts. He wishes to consult with a expert on hybrids."

Orochimaru considered. "Is the hybrid interesting?"

"He is highly functional," Kabuto told him. "He has lived with purebreds, even though all that series were berserkers."

"Follow it up." Orochimaru decided. "Inform him of Amachi's untimely demise and suggest that you may be available."

* * *

Sasuke waited in his office with Shikamaru for Kakashi or Asuma to report back on Kisame's reaction. He stared at reports without reading them. Shikamaru sat curled up in one of the armchairs at the other side of the office with a portable console and earpiece. He had offered to get Naruto but Sasuke had stopped him. Naruto would be with Gaara and, anyway, Sasuke was not sure he could see Naruto without a slew of conflicting emotions exploding to the surface.

Suddenly Shikamaru was out of the chair. "Kisame just sent me a message," he declared. "Apparently Itachi was sending signals in long-short. By the Lady, how could anyone think of sending long-short messages during that?" He caught the look on Sasuke's face. "Sorry, Sasuke-sama, I didn't think."

Sasuke shut his eyes. Shikamaru was Shikamaru, which included the faulty filter between his brain and his tongue when he was with people he trusted. "I forgive you," he assured him.

He had read his father's journal; he knew why Itachi was capable of such a feat. "What did Itachi say?"

"Mainly for Kisame to stay calm and not do anything stupid. Some stuff we already know about Kabuto. Confirmation that there is someone further up the food chain. An estimate for the gravity, which is consistent with Jewel. If this wasn't your mad killer brother, I'd be mightily impressed."

Sasuke could not get Shikamaru's words out of his head as he walked towards the crew room for the midmeal. As a child, he had always been mightily impressed by Itachi. Itachi had been his hero.

Then he recalled the images of Itachi with the bullmen and felt sick. He slowed and stopped. He could not face a galley filled with people and food. He was about to turn and head back to his office when he saw Naruto walking towards him; Sasuke guessed that Shikamaru or Kakashi had told him what had happened. Naruto speeded up, closed the distance between them and gathered Sasuke to him.

Sasuke relaxed into Naruto's embrace. Everything about Naruto soothed him but once he was calm the tears started to flow. Naruto picked him up and headed for the crew room.

* * *

Naruto laid Sasuke on their bed. He removed his clothes. He licked away his tears. He nuzzled and groomed Sasuke until he lay warm and relaxed in Naruto's glow. Gently, slowly, he brought Sasuke to a climax that was more sweet relief than dizzying ecstasy. Then he stroked him and cuddled him until he drifted off to sleep.

Naruto studied Sasuke as he lay sleeping. The situation was unacceptable. Kabuto had to die. The man telling Kabuto what to do had to die. They had to be killed quickly before more bad things happened.

Then, somehow, they had to put things right. Natsuhi-san had to be retrieved and allowed to die, rather than Rin keeping her as living test bed; only then would Sumaru-kun be able to grieve and move on. Itachi must be rescued. All the tissue samples had to be found and accounted for, including any that were growing into babies.

He did not know what they should do with Itachi.

He did not know what they should do with any babies that did not work.

But Kabuto and the other man would die.


	73. Caring

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue the story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**Warning: non-consensual sex happens 'off stage' near the end of this chapter**

* * *

**73. Caring**

* * *

Once Naruto was sure Sasuke was asleep he went to check the babies, only to have his stomach remind him that he had missed his midday meal. He crept out of their room, sliding the door open and closed as quietly as he could, and made his way to the galley. Iruka was working at the table rather than in his office. He pushed aside his portable console as soon as he saw Naruto.

"Let me get you something to eat," he insisted.

Naruto sat down, "That would be great, Iruka-sensei. Thank you," he replied.

The speed at which Iruka produced a platter of food and a mug of soup confirmed Naruto's suspicion that he had put food aside for him and Sasuke.

"How is he?" Iruka asked.

"Sleeping. He finds anything about Itachi difficult." Naruto knew that there was more to it than that. He replaced the bread he had been about to eat on his plate. "When we were locked in the safe room I told Sasuke that I blamed him for what happened, because it was his idea to let Kabuto onto the ship."

Iruka gave him a reproachful look. "Oh, Naruto, that wasn't fair."

Naruto felt his cheeks colouring. "I know. Whatever I do or say now, I still said it and he still feels it. Now they are torturing Itachi and he is blaming himself. And he hasn't thought yet about the babies that won't work but when he does, he will blame himself for those too."

"What babies that won't work?" Iruka asked, obviously alarmed by the notion.

"That's how they make hybrids," Naruto told him. "They don't know how to do it properly, like Bara did. Instead they start hundreds of babies. Most of them don't grow right. Some die but the others they decide if they will kill them or let them grow into babies that don't work. Gaara was one from five hundred. The other four hundred and ninety-nine died or were killed."

Iruka flinched.

"Rin thinks Kabuto will have started babies from my cells, because there were cells for that in the tissue bank." Naruto blinked back tears. "I want them all to die 'cos otherwise, when we find them, they'll be growing into babies that don't work. What do I do then? Do I kill them? Or do we try to raise baby narutos that don't work?" His eyes pleaded with Iruka. "Killing them would be best, I know that, but I don't want to kill babies."

Iruka moved so that he was sitting closer. He took Naruto's hands. "Worrying about it will not help," he insisted. "Perhaps they haven't started cloning you. Perhaps they haven't even got the tissue bank open. Perhaps a Bara hybrid can't be cloned."

Naruto did not think those options were very likely. "Maybe killing them doesn't count because they aren't human," he suggested. "Like me."

The last thing Naruto expected was for Iruka to let go of his hand, slap him around the face and then wag a finger at him. "Don't you dare say that, Naruto. Don't you dare even think that. I am ashamed of you."

He rubbed his sore cheek. "Iruka-sensei?" he queried.

"Don't you 'Iruka-sensei' me, Naruto. You are as sacred and as valuable and as precious as any purebred human and if there are any baby narutos we will love them as much as we love those little Uchihas in your nursery. And if they aren't as perfect as you, it will not matter, because they will be as perfect as themselves."

"But what if there are hundreds of them?" Naruto asked.

Iruka swallowed. "Then it will be a very big litter but we will cope," he insisted. "We may have to hire some help," he admitted.

Naruto hugged him. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"You are welcome, Naruto-kun. Now put me down and eat your food."

Naruto could not believe how much better he felt. He found himself telling Iruka about the plan they were developing.

"We will avoid gates with relays, so we can control when they think Kisame receives the message. And everyone thinks that there is only one hole in the Jewel system, the gated one, but Shi-chan says there is another we can use because we have the improver, so we can sneak up on them. And Kabuto will come to a meeting with Gaara and we will plant transponders on him. Then we'll be able to find them when we get to Jewel."

Iruka frowned. "Will Gaara-san be able to manage at a meeting? If he wears his controller, he may pass out. If it doesn't, he may kill Kabuto, which would stop us using him to find their base."

"Someone will have to go with him," Naruto improvised. "And it will probably be best if Kabuto thinks the controller is the normal type. We were careful not to tell him about mine. I wore the leather collar with my plaque to cover it."

"Have we decided who?" Iruka asked.

"No," Naruto admitted.

By the time they had eliminated everyone that Kabuto had met and anyone who was obviously Uchiha, it was a very short list: Iruka, Shino, Haku, Anko, the cats and Sumaru.

"Not the cats or Sumaru, they are too young," Iruka pointed out.

"A search would show you up as having been in the same place as Kakashi for a long time," Naruto added.

Iruka nodded and put a line through his own name. "Shino has been with us for a while," he mused, "and Anko being female may make her too identifiable."

Naruto frowned. "We'll run searches to check what an outsider would find. They could look different. Shi-chan can plant new identities in the data streams. Shino looks different without his visor and lenses. Haku can look totally different." He considered. "Haku may like to help."

They were silent for a moment, thinking about how subdued Haku had been lately.

"It has been hard," Iruka confessed. "What with cycling the three ships to the data relays and then splitting us up to man the ships to oversee the gating of Kaze."

Naruto agreed. Even now, those manning the Dart were away for days at a time. He yearned for the time before Kabuto, when the whole family was always together and they spent most of their time training, eating and fucking. "Maybe, after this, we could go to Tarrasade," he suggested.

Iruka squeezed his hand. "That is an excellent idea, Naruto-kun," he agreed.

* * *

Kabuto had decided that a sample of one was unscientific, so he had told the bullmen to find him three young males, late adolescent or older, from districts of the city where disappearances were common. The symbiote had spread through their systems quickly but, like the hybrids, their bodies were fighting it. Kabuto tanked them and suppressed their immune systems. He was beginning to think that the woman might have a genetic predisposition to accept the hybrid. Either that or there was a specific treatment that was required. He sighed. It could be worse. It could have been Itachi Uchiha, or even him.

Thinking about Itachi Uchiha reminded Kabuto that he had run out of excuses for keeping him tanked. He did not dare share the real reason with Orochimaru; suggesting that he was too dangerous would only make the idea of playing with him more attractive. Kabuto put the thought aside and walked the laboratories. Most of them were empty; Orochimaru had killed all the experimental hybrids while obsessing about the fox hybrid. Only the standard models, those housed in the kennels, like the bullmen and the mink, had survived.

There was a movement in the corner of his eye. "Kiba, come here," he ordered.

The dog-human hybrid slunk into his field of view. Kabuto did not blame him for being so stealthy; Kiba's survival depended on being expert at not catching Orochimaru's attention. Kabuto helped him as much as possible; Kiba had been Amachi's assistant and without him Kabuto would have never coped when Amachi died.

That had been five standards ago. Kiba had grown from a young adolescent into a powerfully built young adult. He could almost pass as human; unlike Orochimaru, Amachi had valued functionality over exotic appearance or superhuman abilities. There were his canines, the furry texture of his hair and a certain dogginess about his eyes. Otherwise, Kiba looked human; he didn't even have whiskers and he was no more hairy than most human males. His senses, however, were extraordinary and it was his sense of smell and his hearing that allowed him to avoid the danger that was Orochimaru.

"Do you have anything to report about the kennels?" Kabuto asked him.

Kiba considered. "The next batch of mink hybrids is ready for decanting. Do you want me to round up the adolescents and freeze them?"

"Yes. Don't start gestating another batch. If things go well you will be too busy to care for them. Come with me," he ordered and started walking towards the main laboratory. He could see how reluctant Kiba was to follow; Orochimaru regularly visited the main laboratory. "Kiba!" he insisted.

When they entered the laboratory Kiba sniffed the air and listened carefully. Then he settled, content that Orochimaru was not in the vicinity. He went to one of the gestators and looked down the viewer.

"This is new," he observed.

Kabuto switched on the holoprojector. "They are clones of this," he informed him.

Kiba briefly studied the holoprojection of the fox-human hybrid. He wondered why it was blond and blue-eyed. "Neat," he declared and went back to viewing the embryo before moving onto the next. "How many are you planning to take through?"

"There are eight very promising ones of the fourteen we have in gestators," Kabuto told him. "Out of sixty-four. An excellent return. They will need to be raised carefully, Kiba, with much stimulation. Can you manage that?"

Kiba nodded but his mind was elsewhere. He did not like the idea of six less than promising embryos being gestated. It was not fair. It was better to let them go early, before they could sense their surroundings or feel.

"This one looks like it is going to have a tail," he observed. "Does that make it not-promising?" he asked.

Kabuto had a look. "No, a tail or other fox features are fine. At the moment, not promising is a developmental error."

Kiba was looking at one with two heads. Only Orochimaru would have wanted to gestate it. He would have to see to it.

Both Kabuto and Orochimaru believed that embryos with developmental errors had a low probability of surviving to term, which was true, but only because of Kiba. He took pride in the fact that all his hybrids could run about, keep themselves clean and feed themselves. True, some of the mink hybrids were irredeemably stupid, but that was life; some purebreds were pretty dumb.

He viewed all fourteen. All six that Kabuto had described as non-promising would have to be seen to and he wasn't sure about two of the others. "How many have been lost since you put them in gestators?" he asked.

"Three," Kabuto admitted.

Three was good; if they had lost three already then losing more would be unremarkable. "Is there a reason for the high success rate?" he asked and noticed Kabuto's hesitation before replying.

"The original is of ancient design," he admitted. "The embryo must have been in stasis for millenniums."

Even Kiba, who was usually only interested in practicalities, found that interesting. "Neat," he acknowledged.

* * *

Itachi woke on a bed in a windowless room. He was alone, which was a relief. He had no wish to repeat his encounter with the bull-human hybrids. He tried moving, which went well and confirmed that he had been tanked. The movement also caused a clanking sound.

His wrists and ankles were tethered to the wall but the chains were long enough for him to move about comfortably and use the sink and lavatory in the corner. They were easily long enough for him to strangle someone and he resolved to stay alert for any such opportunity.

He wished he could remember how he got here, or what had happened before that, or anything coherent. He wondered if Kabuto had done something to his memory. He knew who he was, Itachi Uchiha, and he knew that Kisame should be with him. He could remember more about people and places than events, more about individual scenes than sequences. He thought of his father and shuddered. He recalled Sasuke waving to him, held up by Mikoto-san so that he could see Itachi for longer as he and Kisame walked away. There were others, some only faces and some with names. The rest was fragmented, like shattered glass.

He moved an arm and the chain rattled. He knew he was a prisoner. Prisoners escaped.

* * *

Anko stared at her image in the mirror. She had silver-blond curly hair and a green tint to her brown eyes. It made her look like a bimbo and, worse, Shino seemed to like it. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. It was worth it. There was no way she was allowing Shino to go on a dangerous mission without her.

As for Shino, he had only relaxed when Haku had tinted his hair and found some coloured contacts for him to wear. Anko thought it was sweet that he could not cope without something between him and the world. She definitely liked the idea that a Shino without his lenses was for her alone.

Most ways for getting transponders into Kabuto involved distracting him, so Haku's disguise had been designed for that purpose. It had certainly been effective; even Shino's eyes had been riveted to his butt. Unfortunately, Gaara had passed out, so they had to rethink. Now Haku's outfit included a coat. If circumstances demanded, the coat could be shed.

Gaara had discovered a new emotion: embarrassment. It would appear that embarrassment was uncomfortable, making him squirm inside, but it did not make him pass out. He felt it when meeting Haku-san again after the incident.

He was not entirely sure what had happened during the incident. He did recall that it had started with Haku bending over to pick something off the floor and had ended with confusion, fear, anger and darkness. He knew it had something to do with sex.

"I apologise, Haku-san," he said at their second meeting, looking at some point over Haku's shoulder.

"There is no need, Gaara-san," Haku assured him. "I took it as a compliment."

Haku still felt a little guilty; he had been unable to resist.

Neji's plan involved a rendezvous with Kabuto in the bar of a hotel that was so highly priced that it could be guaranteed to be almost empty. The hotel was part of a space station, Celeste, that was far from Jewel using gated holes but easy for Kabuto to reach with his Mulligan drive. Gaara, Anko, Shino and Haku would travel in the Dart, one cabin of which had been adapted to Gaara's needs. Like Kabuto, they would jump into the system through a gate, giving the impression that the Dart was a conventional vessel.

The transponders were self-assembling from nanobot components and would be powered by the host's body. They had to be injected or introduced through an orifice. Ideally Kabuto would accept a drink. If not, they would need to be creative.

* * *

Kabuto had been relieved to realise that there was an ungated route to Celeste that involved six jumps but would only take two days. He had not expected the tanuki-human hybrid to request a meeting so soon or with so little warning. In retrospect, he regretted mentioning the communication to Orochimaru; a lot could happen during his four-day absence from Jewel.

The sheer luxury of the hotel served to distract him from his worries. Kabuto had done some checking and knew that the hybrid's 'sister' owned a planet in the Kaze system, so such wealth was to be expected.

The hybrid was certainly interesting. For one of Amachi's, he was surprisingly exotic. Apparently he dealt with his tendency to turn berserk by wearing a modified controller; each of his three companions had an activator.

Kabuto guessed that the woman was a bodyguard and the man was an advisor. As for the girly-boy, he was introduced as a personal attendant but Kabuto had no doubt as to his function. He was utterly gorgeous; Kabuto was mesmerised by his eyelashes.

* * *

Haku smiled. Neji had been correct in his analysis. Kabuto was, indeed, the type of man who liked girly-boys. He was also vain. Eyelash fluttering and flattery had given Anko the opportunity to introduce the nanobots into his drink.

It had almost been too easy.

* * *

Kiba hated it when Kabuto went away. Every one of his encounters with Orochimaru had happened when first Amachi or then Kabuto was absent. This time there was the added complication of the prisoner. Kabuto had given the man five days' worth of survival rations and told Kiba not to go near him; under no circumstance was he to open the door.

That had suited Kiba.

Only Orochimaru had to play with him. He had ordered the bullmen to drag him from his cell and chain him to the bench in Orochimaru's room so that Orochimaru could fuck him.

This time he managed to kill one of the bullmen and severely injure three others. The astonishing thing was that the kill was on the way back to his cell when any normal person, hybrid or purebred, would have been incapacitated by what Orochimaru had done to him.

Then Orochimaru had called for Kiba and told him to treat the prisoner's injuries.

Kiba had been suitably subservient but inside he was angry. If Orochimaru had told him earlier he would have sedated the man when the bullmen had been chaining him to the wall of his cell. Now he would have to open the door. He couldn't even order the bullmen to help him because the adult hybrids had standing orders not to obey him.

He opened the small hatch in the door and peered in. The man appeared to be unconscious. Kiba could tell he was pretending from the sound of his breathing. He shut the hatch but reconsidered and opened it.

"Hey, mister," he called. "I've been told to treat your injuries. I could wait until you really go unconscious rather than pretending, but you might die."

The man tried to sit up but couldn't. Kiba wasn't surprised. He had sometimes helped Kabuto after Orochimaru had fucked him and, from what he had smelled and heard, this was a lot worse.

"Who are you? Where is Kabuto?" he asked.

"Kabuto-san isn't here. I'm Kiba. I look after the hybrids when they are young."

The man looked towards the door. "In you come, then," he said in a surprisingly smooth voice.

Kiba actually considered it before waking up to reality. "I don't think so," he decided.

"Damn you, why not? I'm hurting and bleeding. You yourself said I might die."

"Because you'll kill me," Kiba answered and shut the hatch. Then he went looking for his blowpipe. He would have to guess the dosage.


	74. The dog and the wolf

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**Warning: this chapter includes and refers to physical abuse and killing.**

* * *

**74. The dog and the wolf**

* * *

Itachi woke belly down on the bed. He could not move. There were straps across his calves, thighs, upper arms, wrists, neck and head. They held him still but they were not cruelly tight. His head had been carefully turned to one side so that he could breathe easily. Someone was bathing the welts on his back. The pain was great and he hissed before he could stop himself.

"Sorry," a voice said.

Itachi recognised the voice from beyond the door; Kiba. He remembered a sting and a feathered dart; presumably a blowpipe. The antiseptic liquid hit a particularly deep cut and he winced. "Can't you just tank me?" he asked. "Like Kabuto did?"

"He didn't say to tank you. He said to treat your wounds," Kiba told him. "Anyway, I don't know how to use the tank. If a hybrid is hurt bad enough to be tanked they just kill it. At least I got the regenerator up your arse before you woke up; you should be grateful. I'll turn up the painkiller."

"No, don't," Itachi told him. He did not want his mind fuzzy with drugs. He was confused enough as it was. "It's just pain. Pain is good. It tells you where the damage is." He felt a gentle, cool sensation across his back and guessed that Kiba had spread a lightweight cloth across it.

"I can't close the cuts until the swelling goes down," Kiba explained.

The bed moved and Itachi thought Kiba was about to leave. "Stay," he heard someone say and realised that it was him. It had sounded entirely too needy.

Kiba's weight settled back onto the bed. Itachi felt a hand on his head. Fingers gently raked his hair into a tail. There was the familiar pattern of tugs that suggested plaiting. Then Kiba was gone from the bed but Itachi could hear a tap running. A warm, wet cloth moved gently and rhythmically across his skin. Itachi shut his eyes. He hated his side of himself, the part that needed. It was weak. It made him vulnerable.

Kiba's kindness reminded him of Kisame.

Maybe he could use it. Perhaps Kiba could be persuaded to help him escape. "How did you end up working for a bastard like him?" he asked.

The gentle stroking with the cloth did not stop. "I don't work for him," Kiba replied. "He owns me."

"So you're a slave?" Itachi asked.

The stroking stopped and there was the sound of the cloth being washed out and wrung. Then the stroking was back. It felt good.

"No, you have to be human to be a slave," Kiba answered.

Itachi was lost. Kiba was obviously human. Then he remembered the bullmen. "So you aren't purebred," he stated. "My best friend isn't purebred," he heard himself add.

The stroking stopped briefly and then continued. "The sharkman," Kiba agreed. "I've got good hearing. I listen in. It's safer to know what is going on," he explained. "You are bait in a trap."

Itachi had known that, but it did not make him feel better to have it confirmed.

"I think they want the other one as well, the fox hybrid, the one they are cloning," Kiba added. "You know, the one that Orochimaru has been obsessing about."

Itachi did not know. "Kisame is the only hybrid I know," he replied. "Other than you," he added. "And you are merely an acquaintance." He heard a giggle; to his horror, it was him. Damn it, it had to be the drugs. "Don't you ever think of running away?" he heard himself ask.

Itachi often thought of running away but Uchihas did not run.

"No," Kiba answered. "I'm part dog. Dogs are loyal. Whatever."

Maybe that was it, Itachi thought. He was a dog and Fugaku was his master. Or maybe a wolf that had been broken and domesticated. If he was a dog, he would be more content, like Kiba.

"I wish I were a dog," he whispered.

* * *

Kiba watched the man drift into the embrace of the painkillers and then into sleep. If he wasn't so lethal, Kiba suspected he would like him, which was dangerous. He had liked Amachi. Amachi had raised him from a pup. When Amachi had patted him on the head it had felt too good. His bond to Kabuto was much weaker and therefore less risky.

It was time to check the foetuses; they were too far on for Kiba to think of them as embryos. Kiba checked that the man would be comfortable, locked the door, returned the key to its place and went to the laboratory. As he expected, another one of them had died, helped on its way by a kink in one of the tubes. Kiba went through his usual ritual, wishing the little one's spirit better luck next time around while he decanted and froze the remains. Once he had updated the log he went to see to the mink.

All the kits he had decanted were dead. They had been killed, their necks snapped one by one and the little bodies thrown into a heap on the floor. Kiba sighed. This kind of thing happened when Kabuto went away. He took the little bodies to the incinerator and said the words over each as he cremated it. Then he tidied up the incubators.

The bullmen were fine; Orochimaru needed the bullmen. They leered at him as he topped up their feed.

He was walking back to his kennel when he heard it; Orochimaru was was in the cell doing bad things to the man.

He looked down the corridor. The cell door was open.

His blowpipe was where he had left it, leaning against the wall.

The dart kit was still on the table. Kiba primed two darts with as much anaesthetic as they would take; enough to drop a rampaging bullman.

It was a direct hit.

Orochimaru reared up with a roar. His hand came around, grasped the dart and pulled it out.

Kiba ran. He thought that the dart would have delivered enough anaesthetic but he could not be sure. Maybe Orochimaru would not realise it was him.

"Kiba!" Orochimaru bellowed.

So much for that hope; Kiba rounded a corner, stopped and loaded the second dart. His best chance of a second shot was as Orochimaru charged down the corridor. He jumped into position and aimed.

Orochimaru had his knife in his hand. He was trying to run but his body was betraying him. He stumbled and fell, tried to get up and fell again. He was pulling himself along the floor in Kiba's direction.

Kiba put the second dart into his rump. Once he was unconscious, Kiba checked that the dart was empty.

He went back to the man. He cleaned up the worst of the mess. The man's breathing was shallow and rapid. He was still conscious.

"Let me up," he demanded.

"No," Kiba replied. The man would probably kill him; Kiba had left him tied up for Orochimaru to abuse.

"Did you kill him?" he asked.

Kiba considered. "Maybe not," he admitted.

"Then do it. Or at least make sure he's restrained."

It was a good idea. Kiba went and found rope, then bound Orochimaru securely. Then he went back to the man. He filled a bowl with warm water and washed out the cloth. He stroked the cloth over the man's body. The man liked it, Kiba could tell. Kiba liked it, it relaxed him.

"You have to unstrap me," the man told him.

Kiba ran the cloth down the man's leg. "No, you'll kill me," he replied.

The man made an exasperated sound. "When is Kabuto coming back?" he asked.

It was not something Kiba wanted to think about. Kabuto was going to be angry with him. He carried on stroking the man.

* * *

The last thing Itachi had expected was for the hybrid to interfere. It would appear that Kiba's doggy loyalty was to Kabuto rather than the loathsome Orochimaru. Unfortunately, Kiba's motivation appeared to have been dislike of Orochimaru rather that helping Itachi escape. He had to persuade him to undo the straps.

"Kiba, please undo the straps," he asked. "I promise not to kill you," he added.

The movement of the cloth against his skin ceased. "Purebreds make lots of promises they don't keep," Kiba told him.

"Kiba, my name is Itachi Uchiha. I give you my word, as an Uchiha, that I will not kill you."

There was no response.

"I don't want to kill you, Kiba. Why should I want to kill you?" Itachi asked.

"I left you tied up and he hurt you," Kiba admitted.

"It wasn't your fault and, anyway, you stopped him. Damn it, Kiba, he was your owner and you did that for me. I am grateful."

"I didn't just do it for you," Kiba replied.

Itachi waited.

"I did it because he gestates two-headed embryos, and he killed the mink-human kits, and he fucks Kabuto, and he killed Amachi."

Itachi did not know who Amachi was, but it had been someone Kiba cared about; it was in his voice. "It sounds like he deserves to die," he suggested.

Kiba snorted. "Death has nothing to do with deserving. What will you do if I unstrap you? And don't lie. I can smell lies."

Itachi doubted that, but telling at least some of the truth was probably safer. "I will not kill you. I will kill Orochimaru if you haven't already done so. I will escape."

"Will you promise not to kill Kabuto?" Kiba asked.

Itachi thought about lying. "No," he confessed.

For some reason Itachi did not understand, it worked. The hybrid started undoing the straps. Once he was free, Itachi turned onto his side and pulled up his knees. Perhaps jumping off the bed was not a realistic option.

"He's unconscious and I tied him up really well," Kiba assured him. "Kabuto can't be back today or tomorrow. You need to sleep now and let the regenerator heal you."

Itachi wondered if he was being sedated as he drifted away.

* * *

Kiba found a blanket and covered the man. He studied at his face. It was interesting, but far too thin. When he was sleeping he looked fragile.

He went to check Orochimaru. He did not smell dead but there was no sign of life. It had been a huge dose of anaesthetic.

Kiba ate. He finished his rounds. He went to the laboratory and saw to the other fox-human foetuses that wouldn't be able to run about and feed themselves. He still froze the remains, because that was part of the ritual. In the log he wrote, "Killed by Kiba because it is kinder that way."

There were six left, including the one with the tail. They were all very promising.

Then he went to his kennel to sleep.

He was woken by the sound of a gun firing projectiles. Listening, he could hear the bullmen trying to stampede in limited space and the sounds they made when they were terrified. He pulled on some clothes, shoved his feet into his shoes and ran in that direction.

His route took him past the man's cell and where he had left Orochimaru. The cell was empty. Around Orochimaru's body was a huge pool of blood, already dark and sticky; Orochimaru's throat had been cut.

The noises had stopped. Either he had run out of projectiles or all the bullmen were dead. Kiba spotted him going into the main laboratory. There was the sound of equipment breaking.

Kiba ran faster. He charged through the open door as the man was approaching a gestator. Kiba leapt and landed on his back, knocking him to one side. The man fought him but, for once, Kiba did not hold back. He broke his arm so that Orochimaru's knife fell from his hand. He kicked the knife away and hit him hard enough to subdue him. He did not break his neck.

"You will not hurt the foetuses," he told him. "They are promising."

Then Kiba looked about. The six important gestators were undamaged. He checked each one in turn, in case any of the tubes had kinked or the power had been interrupted. They were fine.

Then he went back to the man, who was sitting on the ground holding his broken arm.

The man was a killer, like Orochimaru. Kiba calmed himself. Being a killer was not necessarily bad. Kiba himself had killed thousands of embryos and foetuses. The bullmen had been dangerous. They were personally loyal to Orochimaru. They had raped the man and they would rape Kiba if given half a chance. The man probably did not think of the foetuses as anything more than one of Orochimaru's experiments. What made Orochimaru hateful was that he enjoyed causing people pain.

"I will see to your arm now," he told him.

Itachi allowed the hybrid pick him up and carry him into a treatment room. It had been shock to experience his speed and his strength; he had snapped Itachi's arm as if the bones had been dried twigs. In contrast, he was exquisitely gentle as he set Itachi's arm and encased it in a regenerator. Again it reminded Itachi of Kisame.

He smiled; now it was safe for Kisame to come for him.

"I need to send Kisame a message," he told Kiba. "And we have to agree what to do when Kabuto arrives."

Kiba thought about what the man had said. Was he offering not to kill Kabuto? Perhaps he did not know that Kabuto was the one who had raided his ship and stolen the tank he was in.

Did Kiba want Kabuto killed?

No.

Perhaps he could send Kabuto a message, or leave him one. Kabuto had a permanent mooring at the spaceport. Kiba could not take a message himself, but he could send one. All he had to do was go out onto the street and flag down a courier; Kabuto had an account.

This was not something he intended to share with the man.

"I will help you send a message to your friend if you will promise not to hurt the foetuses," Kiba bargained.

The man scowled at him. "What is it about the foetuses? Are they some special experiment?"

"The cells they were grown from were stolen from the same ship as you were," Kiba replied. "Along with the other tank, which has a woman in it." He could see that the man was confused. "You were in one tank. The woman was in the other. There is also a tissue bank. The cells were in the tissue bank. They are from the fox-human hybrid that Orochimaru has been obsessing about." Kiba had an idea. "I can show you the hololoop Orochimaru kept playing. It is all about the fox-human hybrid."

"I want to send a message to Kisame," the man insisted.

"As soon as you promise not to hurt the foetuses," Kiba repeated, patiently.

The man made the same exasperated sound as he had the previous day. "I promise not to hurt the foetuses. Now, show me the communications console."

Itachi could have laughed. Kiba had made it clear that he would snap Itachi's neck rather than let him hurt the foetuses, yet still he wanted his promise. He wanted it much more than he wanted any protection for Kabuto.

The communications console Kiba chose to show him was in Orochimaru's room. Kiba explained that it was much more powerful than the one in Kabuto's office.

It was a standard model. The problem for Itachi was that he could not remember what ship they were currently on, or any other details. He had to settle for broadcast messages, one to Kisame and one to Uchiha.

Kiba watched the man send his messages. Then he leaned over the console. "I will play you the hololoop," he said. He hoped that the holoprojection would distract the man long enough for Kiba to slip out and find a courier.

It seemed to be working. The man's initial objection fell silent almost immediately. He stared at the projection. Kiba snuck away.

He was lucky, a courier passed within minutes of him finishing writing the letter and taking up his position on the corner. He used Kabuto's account details and added a tip in coin, explaining that safe delivery of the message was important to his master.

The man was still in Orochimaru's room, staring at the holoprojection, so Kiba decided to clean up. He considered cremating Orochimaru's body but then thought that Kabuto might need to say goodbye, so he froze it instead. He cleaned up the blood and started the thankless task of moving the bodies of the bullmen one by one to the incinerator.

The man had shot each one in the head, which was a comfort.

* * *

Itachi watched the holoprojection play again and again. Every time the interview came around Itachi was transfixed. Sasuke was an adult. He was wearing Fugaku's and Mikoto's rings, which meant they were both dead. The fox hybrid was his Companion and there was no doubt he was beloved.

Then there was the woman's question, "What is it like, Sasuke-sama, to live with the awful truth that your brother massacred your entire family?"

And Sasuke's reply, "I miss them very much."

* * *

_Author's note_

_OK, I had no idea that this was going to happen when I started writing this chapter. It was like it wrote itself. I feel like Shikamaru is going to in the fic – all those plans and, instead, Kiba spots his blowpipe against the wall and that's that._

_Kiba wasn't even in the planned plot!_

_I guess he snuck up on me._


	75. Duty

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**75. Duty**

* * *

Itachi pulled himself together. The holovideo could be a trick. Even if it were true, he must concentrate on his current situation.

These people, Orochimaru and Kabuto, had stolen from Uchiha. He must retrieve what had been stolen; the woman in the tank, the tissue bank and the foetuses that had been grown from the fox-hybrid's cells.

Worse, they had dared use a full blood Uchiha as bait. Orochimaru had paid and Kabuto must do the same.

He went looking for Kiba and found him in the laboratory.

"What resources does Kabuto have? Does he have fighters? Guns?" he asked.

Kiba scowled. Kabuto was not coming, so it did not matter if he had fighters or guns. However, he could not tell the man that; he might discover that Kiba had sent Kabuto a letter.

"He has twelve mink-human fighters," Kiba replied. "They are small but very vicious. They use guns as well as biting and clawing."

Itachi considered. "You have none here?" he enquired.

"There are thirty trained fighters in stasis," Kiba answered. "They are loyal to Kabuto. They would attack you as an intruder."

"No untrained ones?" the man pressed.

Kiba recalled the adolescents he had recently frozen; he had been fond of them. He could revive them. They would not have to fight, because Kabuto was not returning. "There are thirty youngsters; not trained, but not loyal to Kabuto."

It took a great deal to make an Uchiha admit to having made an error, even to himself. Itachi's eye twitched as he watched the sea of furry youngsters crowd about Kiba vying for his attention with their squeaking and squabbling. He should have asked more questions.

"Quiet!" he bellowed.

They froze. Some of them looked to Kiba for reassurance.

"I am Itachi Uchiha. You will call me Itachi-san. What will you call me?"

The response was scattered and weak.

"What will you call me?" Itachi barked.

"Itachi-san!" they replied.

"Better," Itachi acknowledged. "You will obey me. You will do what I tell you and you will do it well. Then you will be rewarded. How do we reward mink hybrids that obey and do well, Kiba-san?"

A few of the youngsters giggled at hearing Kiba called Kiba-san. Kiba himself looked surprised. "We reward them with fish, Itachi-san," he answered.

The mink hybrids' noses twitched at the thought of fish.

"And if you do not obey me or if you do badly, you will be punished. How will I punish mink hybrids that disobey and do badly, Kiba-san?"

"You will punish them by making them sleep alone all night, Itachi-san," Kiba decided.

Itachi could go with that; the mink hybrids' whiskers drooped at the thought of it.

Kiba was impressed. Despite knowing nothing about minkies, the man managed to have them busy cleaning themselves and their accommodation for inspection within minutes.

"I can see they each have a number between one and thirty on their ear tags," the man said. "Can you quickly give me a list of their names against the numbers?"

Kiba wondered if he should tell him that minkies were not allowed names; that these ones would be called purple one through purple thirty for the rest of their depressingly short lives. Instead he found a piece of paper, wrote down one to thirty and added the names he had used with each of them as he raised them.

The man stared at it for a few minutes.

During the inspection he called each one by name. He complimented the ones whose fur was particularly neat or who had cleaned something well. There was a steady, questioning look for those who were scruffy. He and Kiba had one of their 'Itachi-san' and 'Kiba-san' exchanges in which it was decided that there might be a small amount of fish for every minky later that day.

He divided them into groups of three and taught them how to reload or recharge the selection of guns he had gathered; Orochimaru had liked guns. Then he gave them laser pistols turned to minimum. After a very short lecture about safety, he had them shooting at targets.

Kiba had never seen them concentrate so hard and for so long. He watched the man compliment Meeko-kun, who had proved to be a particularly good shot; Meeko's fur rippled with pleasure at the praise.

During feeding time the man gave out the small pieces of fish himself. Every minky got one. Meeko and the other minkies who had done particularly well received two. The man gave two pieces of fish only to minkies who had earned them.

Kabuto usually trained minkies using an electric prod, with a beating for any minky that did badly. If a minky failed three times he was sent to Orochimaru; the lucky ones died quickly.

Kiba much preferred Itachi-san's methods.

Itachi had decided that, despite their immaturity and their tendency to squabble, the mink hybrids had considerable potential. Being recently out of stasis and having worked hard, they were tired. After they had fed, they groomed each other and settled down to sleep in a furry huddle.

He was, he admitted, weary. He hoped that Kiba was correct and that Kabuto could not arrive that night and was unlikely to be back the next day. Next morning he would work out how to reset the security.

He accepted the food handed to him and did not object when Kiba insisted he receive more treatment. He was content to sleep on the treatment bed while the regenerators did their work.

Kiba stood in the doorway of the treatment room and studied the man, Itachi-san, as he slept. He found himself wondering, again, how such a fragile and damaged man could be so powerful.

* * *

Kabuto was a day later than he would have hoped and, worse, there was no answer to the communication he had sent as he jumped into the system. The sight of an envelope bearing the address 'Kabuto-san' in Kiba's childish handwriting increased his foreboding. He opened it with trepidation.

_Kabuto-san_

_Orochimaru-sama played with the man._

_The man killed Orochimaru-sama. I put his body in the freezer._

_Orochimaru-sama killed the minky kits before he died. The man killed all the bullmen. I cremated the bodies._

_Stay away. The man will kill you. He has sent a message to his friend._

_Kiba_

_P.S. There are six foetuses left and they are very promising. The man has promised not to kill them or me._

Kabuto calmed himself. Orochimaru could not be dead. Kiba must be mistaken. At least the dog hybrid had not cremated him.

He went to activate the twelve mink hybrid fighters.

* * *

Sasuke had promised not to view any other communications from Jewel without Naruto with him. After consideration, he chose to also have Shikamaru, Neji and Kakashi present.

This communication was different. It had been broadcast. It was secured using one of the Old Uchiha ciphers. It was marked for the urgent attention of all Uchiha ships. It included the coded signature of a full blood Uchiha.

So Sasuke was not surprised to see Itachi's face. It was pinched and sallow, but his eyes had the intensity Sasuke remembered. He was shirtless. The way his collarbones projected confirmed that he was far too thin.

"_This is Itachi Uchiha._

"_My memory is damaged. I do not know when or how this happened. It will affect the quality of this report._

"_I have been told that I was captured in a raid on a ship by a man called Kabuto. I was tanked. Also taken were a woman in a tank and a tissue bank. The woman is still tanked. Kabuto and his superior, Orochimaru, are hybrid engineers. They are hoping that Kisame will walk into a trap in a bid to rescue me._

"_They are also interested in the fox-human hybrid. They have already cloned him using cells from the tissue bank. There are a total of six foetuses that are all, apparently, promising._

"_Kabuto is away from his facility at this time. He is due back within a few days._

"_There is a dog-human hybrid called Kiba. He was their laboratory assistant. He helped me kill Orochimaru. In return I have promised not to kill him. He is very protective of the fox-hybrid foetuses._

"_I will protect the stolen material, including the foetuses, from being reacquired by Kabuto._

"_Requesting pickup."_

Just before the camera was deactivated Itachi had turned, perhaps to speak to another. Sasuke saw part of his back, crisscrossed with cuts and welts. He took a deep breath, squeezed Naruto's hand and looked to Neji.

"He is not under duress," Neji told them. "The indications are that he is speaking the truth when he says that his memory is damaged. It would be consistent with what Rin told us about the brain damage and consequences of taking him out of the tank too soon."

"We retrieve him, quickly," Kakashi added. "Before his memory returns." He scowled. "It will not, however, be before Kabuto returns and we know how dangerous Kabuto can be."

"We will need another six gestators," Naruto added. "We haven't got any more with us."

The others looked at him. Sasuke could see how badly he was shaken by the news of the fox-human foetuses.

"We will send the Dart to get more," he promised.

* * *

Kisame had viewed the communication Itachi had broadcast to Uchiha. Itachi had looked terrible but fiercely fine. He took a deep breath and opened the message that was for him alone.

In this Itachi's eyes were vulnerable and pleading.

"_I know you, Kisame. I know you are my friend and my Companion. I remember us together. I know who I am. I am Itachi Uchiha. I know I live the life I have to lead._

"_I remember people and places but few specifics of what happened and where._

"_I know I was bait in a trap for you. I have killed everyone whom I judged dangerous. I will kill Kabuto. It will be safe for you to come for me._

"_I miss you._

"_Please come."_

Kisame suppressed his emotions. Otherwise his rage would be released with them.

He closed his eye. He struggled to remember a time when Itachi would have admitted to missing him. Perhaps long ago, when they had first become friends, before he had offered to be Itachi's Companion.

It had been the only way to stop Fugaku-kyou. As Companion, Kisame was sworn personally to Itachi. It superseded all other vows, even that to the clan leader. The overt abuse ceased. Fugaku-kyou had known that Kisame would snap his spine.

Yet here was Itachi, separated from him; vulnerable, raped and beaten.

Kisame had failed him.

Again.

* * *

Kiba crouched behind the barrier.

He had watched Itachi-san preparing for an attack Kiba had been certain would never come. Itachi-san had reset the security codes, overseen the minkies building barricades across the corridors and erected shields to protect the gestators. Each minky had been given a specific task in the anticipated battle and instructions how to stay safe when under attack.

Now Kiba was accepting the fourth blow dart from the two minkies tasked with supplying him. He had only eight darts in all and he was determined to make each one count; the alternative was watching more of the mink-human hybrids shot in the head by Itachi-san. Even though the adults had been trained to despise him, Kiba still felt affection for them.

Kiba could tell that what Itachi-san wanted to kill Kabuto. He knew from the way he looked beyond the mink-human fighters, seeking a target. Kiba had expected him to charge down the corridor in a killing frenzy. Instead he held his position and, because he did, the minkies stayed where they should and none of them were hurt.

When the sixth mink-human fighter fell, Kabuto retreated.

He took the unconscious mink-human hybrids but not the dead.

The only dead body they took was Orochimaru's.

Itachi did not know what to make of Kabuto's retreat. There were two possibilities. Either he had retrieved what he had wanted or he had not been prepared for the level of opposition they had offered. The first seemed unlikely because Kiba did not think anything was missing. The second would mean that he was likely to attack again, perhaps with hired fighters. Itachi had spent the rest of that day and the whole of the next working with the minkies to secure the perimeter.

* * *

Sasuke found the weight of the laser pistol in its holster strange. Normally they would never drop to a planet where a spacer crew was reduced to wearing guns. He glanced over to Kakashi, who had wanted Sasuke to stay on the Sakura; the space port was the only safe and secure location in the city, possibly across the entire planet. But Sasuke had insisted and Naruto, the only person to whom he might listen, had agreed with him; Sasuke needed to be there when Kisame met Itachi.

They set off towards the origin of Itachi's broadcast.

The property was covered with the Uchiha codes for 'trapped - do not attempt entry'. Naruto suggested pressing the doorbell only to evoke a chorus of horrified exclamations from the other elite fighters.

"This is Itachi," Gai told him. "The doorbell will be the trigger for the biggest bomb."

After some discussion they decided that the best option was for Kisame to yell.

* * *

Kiba was suddenly surrounded by squeaking minkies.

"There is a big blue man ..."

"..at the front door..."

"...yelling for..."

"..Itachi-san."

He wondered why they had not gone to Itachi-san directly but then realised that he was in Kabuto's office with the door closed. Kiba knocked politely on the door and waited for permission to enter.

"There is someone at the front door," he said. "From the minkies' description it is your friend."

Itachi put down his pen and tidied the notes he had been making. This was it, the moment he would discover whether what had been implied in the interview was true. He wondered if Kisame would be alone. Itachi wanted him to be alone. It was easier for Itachi to be himself when they were alone.

He walked calmly to the door and used the viewer.

Kisame was not alone. It was a large party of fighters. The quality of the picture was poor and the viewing angle limited, but Itachi was sure that he recognised Kakashi and Gai. It was a shock to see Kakashi. That meant that Sasuke's time as cat in a crew was over; more evidence that what Itachi had seen in the hololoop was true.

Itachi unhooked the trigger from the bomb he had improvised and opened the door.

Sasuke was with them.

Viewing the interview had not prepared Itachi for the reality. He was taller and more powerfully built. He was even more beautiful than Mikoto-san. He exuded quiet and confident authority.

He was wearing the ring. He was leader of the clan.

Itachi sank to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. "Sasuke-kyou," he acknowledged.

"Do not call me that," he growled. "Never call me that. You and I both know what our father was."

His contempt for Fugaku was palpable.

Itachi stayed where he was. He did not know what else to do. What were his options if he was responsible for a massacre?

"Get up," Sasuke ordered him.

Itachi stood.

"Do you remember anything?" Sasuke asked him.

"People," Itachi admitted. "Scenes. Some events. I think I know who I am."

Sasuke looked at him. Itachi realised that his little brother was taller than him.

"You don't know who you are, Itachi," Sasuke replied sadly. "That is the problem. A man is who he is but he is also what he has done. You have done terrible things."

Itachi knew then. He did not need a memory. He could see it in Sasuke's eyes. He had not only killed Fugaku. He had, indeed, massacred his family. He had killed Mikoto-san.

He went back down on his knees. He pressed his forehead to the floor. "I offer whatever reparations you demand, Sasuke-sama. My life is in your hands."

He heard Kisame's strangled gasp among the various exclamations.

Then there was the sound of a knife being drawn and a hand fisting in his hair. His head was lifted and tilted back.

Now he could see his father in his brother's face.

"Did I kill her?" he asked.

Itachi felt the sharp edge of the steel against his throat, nicking the skin. Then the word came that confirmed that he deserved to die.

"Yes."


	76. Leader

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**76. Leader**

* * *

Sasuke watched the blood bead and trickle down Itachi's neck. All he had to do was press and slice. Then it would be over.

Only he knew that was a lie.

Kisame would break. He would kill himself or he would live in pieces. Sasuke was not sure which would be worse.

And Sasuke would know that he had killed someone who could not remember the deed for which was dying. This was not the Itachi who had gone over the edge and killed Mikoto-san, or the psychotic killer he had met on Farrellez, or the depressive poisoning himself with drugs. This was a man who was willing to take responsibility for at least one of the terrible things he had done. This was a stranger who reminded him of his brother.

He pulled his knife slightly away from Itachi's neck.

"I keep your life," he declared. "I will do with it what I will. For now, today, you may have use of it." He looked over to Kisame. "Kisame-san, for today, will you take responsibility for his behaviour?"

"I would be pleased to do that, Sasuke-sama," Kisame replied.

There was murmur of relief.

"Good decision, Sasuke-sama," Kakashi told him. "Particularly since he is the one that knows where all the traps are and how to disable them. You can always kill him tomorrow."

Sasuke loosened his hold on Itachi's hair. "You may get up. For today, you will conduct yourself as if you are sworn to me and to Uchiha."

Itachi rose to his feet in a single, smooth, elegant move; some things never changed. Sasuke watched Itachi walk to Kisame's side before his attention was caught by the bobbing of small furry heads above the line of the first barricade.

"Not more of the pesky critters," Kisame grumbled.

"They fought with me against Kabuto," Itachi admitted. "I asked Kiba to defrost them. They are only youngsters."

Sasuke wondered how many there were; he spotted more as Itachi led the way along the corridor. If they had fought against Kabuto that made them allies and he was beholden to them. Worse, it was obvious that they could not look after themselves; they were little more than children.

"How many of them are there?" he asked.

Itachi did not look in the least bit apologetic for landing him with them. "Thirty," he told him.

Sasuke sighed. "Call them together," he instructed, "so I can thank them for helping."

Itachi studied him for a moment before nodding. "You had better meet Kiba first," he said.

Itachi introduced him to a powerfully built young man with shaggy hair. Kiba listened as Sasuke explained that he wanted to thank the mink-human hybrids for fighting against Kabuto.

"You also, Kiba-san," Sasuke added. "I understand you freed my brother, helped him kill Orochimaru and fought at his side. I thank you. Uchiha thanks you. We recognise and will reward your service."

The young man just looked at him, not responding to Sasuke's recognition of his service. "I'll get the minkies together," he said.

It did not take long. Sasuke kept it simple so that they would understand. Itachi promised each of them two pieces of fish at feeding time. Sasuke gave them the rest of the day to themselves and saw them look to Itachi rather than Kiba for confirmation. His heart sank; yet another complication. What would happen to Itachi's squad of minkies if Sasuke decided that the only viable option was to kill him?

He was only three paces away from the minkies' quarters when Naruto started asking about the babies; Sasuke was surprised he had lasted that long. Sasuke ordered Itachi to work with Gai to secure the building and then introduced Kiba to Naruto.

"Kiba-san, this is Naruto. He is my Beloved Companion and partner."

Again, Kiba did not respond to Sasuke's words. He was staring at Naruto's whiskers.

"Can you show me the fox-human babies?" Naruto asked immediately.

Kiba scowled. "They will be kits," he informed him. "They are foetuses and they will be kits."

Sasuke tensed. Naruto hated the babies being called foetuses; his blue eyes bore into the stranger.

"The unborn kits," Naruto compromised. "Can you show me the unborn kits?" he added.

Kiba did not move. "What do you intend to do with them?" he asked.

Naruto began to lose it. He growled. His top lip curled in a snarl. "Where are the kits?" he demanded.

Kiba growled back. He too snarled, displaying an impressive set of fangs.

It was an abrupt reminder that Kiba was another canine-human hybrid. Sasuke stepped between them.

"Naruto, please try to behave reasonably. Kiba-san, Naruto only has the best intentions towards the kits. We want to raise them as our children."

This time Kiba responded. "As your children?" he queried. He studied Sasuke, then Naruto and then Sasuke again. "You mean it," he observed. "He really is your partner." He shook himself, like Naruto sometimes did. "You realise that they won't look exactly like him?" he checked. "I mean, one has a tail and the others will probably have some fox features other than teeth and whiskers."

So one had a tail; Sasuke could become accustomed to a child with a tail. He wondered if it would be furry.

"Tails and other foxy features are fine," he insisted.

"Show me," Naruto demanded.

So they went to the laboratory and Naruto spent much time viewing each kit while Kiba hovered. Sasuke and Kakashi sat in chairs that were positioned so that Sasuke could keep a close eye on Naruto. He did not want him and Kiba fighting.

"A child with a tail," Kakashi observed.

"We knew they wouldn't be exactly like Naruto," Sasuke replied. He had discussed it at length with Iruka-sensei and then taken time to think the situation through. Naruto needed him to accept these children, these kits. "We wouldn't want all six being identical, would we? We need to be able to tell them apart."

"I can accept six small versions of Naruto," Kakashi admitted, "even if they have furry ears and tails. Itachi is another matter."

Sasuke sighed. "If he had been like he was on Farrellez, I would not have hesitated for a moment."

Kakashi gave him a look that said he doubted that. "You should be thinking about Asuma and Haku," he reminded him. "Leaving Asuma on the Oak and sending Haku on the Dart are not solutions."

Sasuke knew that was true. Particularly Haku; he had the right to demand Itachi's life and Sasuke could not imagine that he would forgo it. Then what would happen to the minkies? What would Kisame do?

Was it cowardly of him to delegate a decision he could not take?

Such thoughts made his guts churn. He went to find a head.

Sasuke could hear them arguing as he returned. There was no missing it, they were already shouting.

"No moving the foetuses," Kiba insisted.

"We have mobile gestators," Naruto countered.

"It is too risky to transfer them from one gestator to another," Kiba told him. "It is out of the question."

"Rin-san says it can be done safely," Naruto argued.

"Then this Rin-san is an idiot," Kiba replied. "They will remain here. I will look after them. They will be ready for decanting in two and a half divs. You can come back then."

"I am not leaving my kits and Sasuke cannot stay here for two and half divs," Naruto objected.

"They are better off with me," Kiba told him. "I would never put my lover's safety above theirs."

Sasuke speeded up, rejoined them and scowled at Kakashi.

Kakashi shrugged. "There isn't any growling yet," he said, as if that explained his lack of intervention.

Sasuke touched Naruto's arm to distract him, thus breaking the eye contact between them.

"Kiba-san, no one is going to move the kits unless it is safe," he insisted. "Have you raised any fox-human hybrids before?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Not fox-human," Kiba admitted. "Lots of the minkies, but they much less human. Many bull-human hybrids. Several dog-human hybrids and cat-human hybrids. The dog-human hybrids were closest. Most clients wanted them as human as possible. You know, lots of stimulation, hitting all the developmental windows and discouraging doggy behaviour." He turned to Naruto. "Who raised you? They did a good job. You don't lick your balls in company or dash off chasing rabbits."

Sasuke was pretty sure that Naruto was flexible enough to lick his own balls. He had certainly seen him...

He pulled his attention back to what Kiba was saying. Naruto hated talking about his childhood. Sasuke found his hand and squeezed it.

"I don't know," Naruto admitted reluctantly. "I thought I grew up on the street."

"No," Kiba told him. "You'd be feral. Someone worked intensively with you for at least two standards.

Sasuke was thinking through the implications of what Kiba was saying. "If we don't raise these kits correctly, their behaviour will not be as human as yours or Naruto's," he checked.

Kiba nodded.

"Do they come with a manual?" Sasuke asked. He was only half joking. They did not even know how to raise human babies and this was sounding much more difficult.

"No," Kiba answered without a smile. "We never let the dog hybrids go to clients before they were over two standards." He looked again at Naruto. "Is it true you are a multiple? Kabuto-san thought you might be."

"What's a multiple?" Naruto asked in a tone that indicated that he was not sure he wanted to know.

"Hybrids are often engineered for a purpose," Kiba explained, sounding as if he was repeating a lesson. "These hybrids have a specific behaviour triggered by a certain stimulus. Examples include berserkers or the minkies' loyalty. Modern hybrids only have, at most, one such triggered behaviour." He continued much more naturally. "Kabuto-san thought you were bonded to him," he gestured towards Sasuke. "Bonding is a triggered behaviour. Do you display any others?"

Sasuke immediately thought of fluffy-soft-Naruto and growling-possessive-Naruto. From the blush on Naruto's cheeks, he was thinking the same.

"Perhaps," Naruto admitted. "It's private."

Kiba nodded. "Sexual behaviours," he observed. "I've never raised a multiple. When did the triggered behaviours begin showing?"

"When I started to squirt," Naruto admitted. "That was the first time I flipped. Went berserk," he clarified when it was clear Kiba did not understand.

Kiba edged away. "You're a berserker?"

"It is under control," Naruto assured him.

"It is?" Kiba queried, obviously unconvinced.

Sasuke only half listened to Naruto explaining to Kiba about his controller. He was thinking about his and Naruto's complete lack of expertise when it came to raising even one hybrid, never mind six.

"Offer him a job," Kakashi whispered. "You need him. Badly. He's your manual."

The conversation about the controller was obviously going to take some time, so Sasuke decided to check on their progress in securing the building. Gai was confident that all was well. He also managed to slip into the conversation that Kisame and Itachi had locked themselves what appeared to be a small infirmary.

Sasuke reinforced his message that Kisame was to be trusted to guard Itachi. Then he contacted the Sakura to tell Hamaki, Terai and Fu to bring Shikamaru, Neji and Rin to join them. He also had a brief discussion with Neji about what supplies they would require for an overnight stay.

Then he returned to Naruto. Kiba had gone and Naruto was viewing the kits again. Sasuke asked him if there was a projector and was rewarded by a small smile from Naruto. Soon they were examining holoprojections of each foetus. One did, indeed, have a tail.

Sasuke was surprised at how advanced the foetuses were; apparently the gestation period was shorter and that the embryos' development had been accelerated.

The kits' due date was almost the same as that of the babies.

Sasuke imagined it: one day, no children; next day, nine children.

Triplets had been scary. Nonuplets was terrifying.

They were going to need help; they were going to need Kiba. He had to persuade Naruto to put his antagonism for the dog hybrid aside.

"We are going to need Kiba, dobe," he began. "I know you are unsure about him but he's the only person we are going to find that can tell us how to raise the kits. Also, look how protective he is of them already. And..."

Naruto interrupted him. "I know. I already asked him. He'll come if we agree to take the minkies."

Sasuke was relieved that Naruto had accepted Kiba; he had already realised that they were stuck with the minkies.

"We can pod them; there are pods in storage here. Kiba says we should do it soon rather than letting them bond even more closely to Itachi in case..." Naruto hesitated. "...you kill him." He looked in hope at Sasuke. "If you do, Kiba thinks that we can transfer the minkies to you, 'cos you smell like Itachi."

Of all the things Itachi had done to him, saddling him with thirty minkies was probably the least objectionable. "If it proves absolutely necessary," Sasuke conceded and was rewarded with another smile. "Now let's have another look at the kits before I go tell Itachi that I am podding his minkies."

They spend a quiet twenty minutes displaying the kits and then Sasuke went to talk with Itachi about the minkies. Neither brother mentioned the problem of them being loyal to Itachi when Itachi's future was so precarious. Itachi agreed to help Kiba pod them next morning. In return, Sasuke agreed to be there at feeding time to give out the fish.

Rin, Shikamaru and Neji had arrived by the time he had finished talking to Itachi. Shikamaru had settled immediately to his tasks of stripping as much data as possible from Kabuto and Orochimaru's systems and records. Neji was talking to Kiba under the guise of sorting out places for everyone to sleep. Rin had gone to the laboratory.

Shikamaru stopped what he was doing as soon as Sasuke appeared at the door of Kabuto's office.

"Na-chan doesn't look good," he said.

Sasuke froze. Shikamaru very rarely spoke to him about Naruto; he had to be seriously concerned. It was true that Naruto had not been himself since the raid. Shikamaru was right; seeing the kits, having confirmation that they were safe, should have helped more than it had. Sasuke ran through possible reasons: the problem of moving the kits; the realisation that they knew so little about raising hybrids; having to accept Kiba; Kiba asking questions about Naruto's childhood; the discussion about triggered behaviours; the tail as evidence that the kits may have unexpected and possibly undesirable features. The list was too long.

"I realise that the situation with Itachi is difficult for you…" Shikamaru was saying.

Sasuke cut him off. "Naruto comes first," he insisted.

"You need to get these babies to the Oak and with the others as soon as you can," Shikamaru recommended.

Sasuke sat down. "That was the plan," he agreed, "but Kiba thinks we will be risking their lives by transferring them to mobile gestators." He paused. "Imagine if we transferred them and one died."

Shikamaru did. Sasuke saw him shudder. "I'll look into it," Shikamaru promised.

Next on Sasuke's list was Rin but he walked toward the laboratory slowly, thinking about Naruto. Neji had brought tents. Sasuke would have to make sure that their tent was pitched somewhere private. Perhaps, for once, he should take advantage of his position and claim a bedroom.

Then he heard Kiba's raised voice and speeded up. He was just in time to see Kiba shoulder Rin away from one of the gestators and adjust the settings. Rin was not happy. Her eyes were flashing. Sasuke could imagine the explosion that was about to happen.

"Rin!" he commanded.

Her eyes reluctantly came to him. "Sasuke-sama, she acknowledged. She looked back at the gestator. "The oxygen concentration was too low," she insisted.

"Not for a fox-human hybrid," Kiba growled. "How many canine-human hybrid foetuses have you gestated?" He moved from one gestator to the next, checking the settings.

She flushed slightly. "None, but..."

"Then leave them alone," he ordered. "You are worse than Naruto," he added. "He didn't touch the controls."

Sasuke decided to interfere before Rin's temper took over.

"This is Rin-san, our Chief Medico," he told Kiba. "Rin-san, this is Kiba-san. He specialises in raising hybrids."

Kiba looked at her. "You are the one who thinks they can be transferred to mobile gestators," he stated.

Rin bridled. "Provided we are careful and follow standard procedure they should be perfectly safe."

"Should?" Kiba queried. "I am not interested in 'should'. Either they will be safe or it doesn't happen."

Rin looked to Sasuke. He took a deep breath.

"This is Kiba-san's laboratory and his specialisation, Rin-san," he observed. "Kiba-san, Rin-san has a great deal of expertise and is very skilled. Please listen carefully to what she had to say. Naruto and I would very much like to be able to move the kits to the ship. We believe we can protect them better there. Perhaps you could take Rin-san to Natsuhi-san, the woman in the tank."

"Just the woman?" Kiba asked. "What about the three young men? They are also tanked."

Sasuke's gut churned anew. "Which three young men?" he asked.

* * *

Sasuke picked at his food; he always had disliked standard rations, even when his gut was behaving. He reviewed the day's outcomes. It could have been worse. The kits were alive and well. Kiba had agreed to work for them. They had a strategy for managing the minkies. The decision had been made to transfer the three unknown young men to the Oak in the hope that Rin could do something for them. Shikamaru was excited about the information he had found.

His eyes went to Itachi, who was at Kisame's side. Was he any closer to making a decision? Perhaps; he was beginning to think about the consequences of not killing Itachi. Some of them were frightening. How he would live with himself if Itachi murdered again?

Then he saw Naruto looking from his own empty wrapper to Sasuke's barely-touched ration. The last thing he needed was Naruto worrying about him not eating. Sasuke broke off a small piece of the food bar. He placed it into his mouth, made himself chew and forced himself to swallow. He washed the mouthful down with some water.

He reached down for another morsel, only for his fingers to close on nothing. He looked down. The wrapper was empty. He looked at Naruto, whose blue eyes were wide and innocent but whose jaw was frozen mid-chew.

Sasuke hit his arm.

Naruto responded with a small shove.

"Dobe," Sasuke whispered.

"Teme," Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of food bar.

There was a whole conversation in the childish exchange; a mutual recognition that times were hard but they were there for each other.

Naruto smiled. It was a little sad but it lifted Sasuke's spirit.

Sasuke smiled back.

Naruto's smile transformed.

Sasuke basked in its terawatt brilliance.


	77. Waiting

Thank you for the reviews. They really do inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**77. Waiting**

* * *

Itachi felt peculiarly light: unburdened by memory; released from responsibility; no longer in control of whether he lived or died.

He savoured the day.

He was with Kisame, his best friend.

He watched Sasuke, fascinated by the man his baby brother had become. Mikoto-san would have been proud of him. His men loved him. He treated everyone, even the minkies, with respect. He had the strength to display his love for Naruto with unabashed pride.

Itachi was not surprised that Kiba stared at him as if he was not real. In Kiba's world men with power were like Orochimaru.

Itachi recognised Kiba's world.

After telling Gai about the traps and the security system, Itachi retreated to the treatment room. His body had started to tremble, a belated response to his brush with death, and it had taken every iota of Itachi's will to hide it.

He may have submitted but he retained some pride.

Kisame followed him. Itachi left the door open; an invitation for Kisame to enter if he should wish. Kisame shut the door behind him. The room suddenly seemed very small.

Kisame sat on the chair, Itachi on the treatment bed.

"Please tell me what I did," Itachi asked.

Kisame did not look at him. "The whole clan was in Tarrasade. You killed Mikoto-san and Fugaku-kyou. Then you evacuated the air from the whole household. Everyone died but Sasuke. Not one other full blood Uchiha survived. Most of the elite fighters died with them."

"You didn't stop me?" Itachi whispered.

"I was not there when you killed Mikoto-san," Kisame replied. "After that, what could I do? Killing Fugaku-kyou was the only way of keeping you alive. I hid Sasuke. You told me that you were sealing everyone in to make it easier for us to run. I found out later you had pumped out the air."

"Why Mikoto-san?" Itachi queried. Mikoto-san had never been anything but kind to him.

Kisame shook his head. "You never told me." He pushed on. "You have killed many others since, most in challenges but some dishonourably. You all but killed one of the current crew, Haku. He was our cat and Sasuke was theirs. We challenged, I lost to Naruto and you slit Haku's throat rather than give him to them. Rin saved him."

The name Rin was vaguely familiar. He had a fleeting image of a woman's face with purple tattoos. The thought of what he had done to the cat appalled him; a life without honour was not a life worth living.

"Sasuke should have killed me," he said.

"Yes," Kisame agreed. "He still might."

They sat in silence. Itachi could not see that Sasuke had a choice other than to kill him. His reprieve was due to a leader's caution; Itachi had been a source of useful information that he had now shared.

If this was his last day, he had things he wished to say to Kisame.

He slipped from the bed and locked the door. Then he turned to his only friend.

"Can I sit in your lap? Please?" he whispered.

Kisame nodded. Itachi went to him. He sat. Kisame's arm supported his back. He rested his head on Kisame's shoulder.

It felt so good. Even though it was a sign of weakness, even though it brought shame on Uchiha, even though it was unfair on Kisame, it still felt good.

For Itachi, love and lust were incompatible. Being fucked was about power and pain and domination. Fucking others was, at best, about relieving his need using a body rather than his hand.

This was different. He was safe. Kisame cared for him. He leaned against Kisame's chest. Kisame stroked his hair. This was intimacy. This was the closest Itachi could come to expressing and accepting love.

Only today was most likely his last day. He wanted to show Kisame that he cared.

"Fuck me, Kisame," he said. He had hoped his voice would not shake, but it did.

Kisame's hand on his hair stopped moving. Then it started again.

"No Ita-chan," he replied. "Never. I would never do that to you. You know that."

If Kisame would not fuck him there was only one other way. Itachi had not said the words since he was a child. He had, once, said them to his father. It was a memory he wished he had forgotten: the expression on his father's face; the pain of being struck; the order forbidding him to ever show such weakness again.

He could do it. This was Kisame. He was safe.

"I love you, Kisame," he admitted.

He had said it. It was true and he had said it. He had finally let go.

Kisame hugged him gently. "And I love you, Ita-chan. I always have and I always will."

Itachi relaxed. After a while, he slept.

He was woken by Kisame shaking him. There was a polite knocking on the door and Sasuke's voice asking to speak with him.

There followed a bizarre exchange about the minkies. Sasuke explained that they would be podding the minkies to transport them and that Kiba had advised doing so sooner rather than later. He did not explain why the podding was urgent and Itachi did not ask; he had already guessed that it was a bad idea for the minkies to be attached to someone who was going to die.

Sasuke was suggesting podding them immediately, so Itachi had to remind him that they had been promised fish at feeding time. Podding on a full stomach seemed a bad idea and they settled on next morning.

Itachi found himself describing how much the minkies liked sleeping together in a huddle. Sasuke asked, meaningfully, if there was anything else he should know and Itachi began talking about individual minkies before stopping and promising to make some notes. There was no discussion why such notes were necessary.

Finally, Itachi asked Sasuke if he would come to feeding time and give out the fish. Sasuke agreed.

It was not about fish. Sasuke was promising to take Itachi's place with the minkies.

Then Sasuke left, closing the door behind him.

Perhaps the conversation had been about minkies.

Perhaps it had been about Sasuke taking on his elder brother's responsibilities and fulfilling them better than Itachi ever could.

Itachi locked the door and went back to sit in Kisame's lap.

Next at the door was a Hyuga with a trolley and a list. After consulting the list, he informed them that they had use of the shower in Kabuto's quarters for a maximum of twenty minutes at a specified time. He said that everyone was meeting to eat and that they were expected to be there.

Kisame looked into the trolley and removed two kit bags, two blankets, two pillows and a rolled foam mattress.

Then the Hyuga left.

"That was Neji-san," Kisame told him. "He is not a Hyuga. He looks like a Hyuga. He has all the skills of a Hyuga. He was born on Hyuga. However, he is not a Hyuga."

Itachi tried to imagine the Hyuga his father had employed delivering supplies. "He is not a Hyuga," he agreed.

Having a shower was good. Washing his hair was excellent. When he came out of the shower he discovered that everything in one of the kit bags fit him. There was even a hairbrush and a comb. Itachi realised, belatedly, that they were his own belongings that Kisame had packed for him. He examined them carefully. He did not recognise them but he could imagine choosing them.

They went back to the treatment room and Itachi began the difficult task of getting all the tangles from his hair. When he gave up, Kisame took over.

By the time they were done his hair was like spun silk, changed with static and clinging to anything that came close, including Itachi's face and Kisame's hands. Itachi battled with it as Kisame watched, smiling with his eye. Finally Itachi restrained it in a loose tail away from his face.

The meal would have been difficult if Itachi had not been in another place where little mattered. Rin, the medico, openly hated him; Itachi had a vague feeling that this had always been so. Some of the fighters regarded him with hostility. Neji watched him with his pale, Hyuga eyes.

There was another newcomer, a young man with a copy of the most significant of Uchiha rings on his duty finger. He looked at Itachi with interest, then seemed lost in his own thoughts. That appeared to be his pattern; either utterly engaged with his surroundings or off in some world of his own. Kisame followed his gaze.

"That is Shikamaru, he is Kakashi's type seven genius. Sasuke calls him the Voice in his Ear," he told Itachi.

It was a weighty title. Itachi watched him. He and the non-Hyuga were lovers. There was much love in the new Uchiha. Kakashi wore a ring on his heart finger. Hamaki, Terai and Fu no longer felt the need to hide what they were to each other. He overheard talk of Asuma having a woman and children.

Perhaps that was what happened when people followed a leader who was so openly in love.

Itachi caught the edge of one of Naruto's smiles. It was breathtaking.

"What is he like? Naruto?" he asked Kisame.

Kisame considered. "Different," he admitted. "I have never met anyone so alive. Sometimes he seems almost simple, but he often shows astonishing insight. He brings out the best in people. Spend time with him and you begin feeling good about yourself. You start believing anything is possible." He paused, studying the pair. "Sasuke adores him and he loves Sasuke with every fibre of his being," he added.

"I can see that," Itachi admitted.

And later, disconcertingly, he heard it. Kisame seemed remarkably unconcerned at the screams of what Itachi assumed were ecstasy.

"Your brother," he confirmed in response to Itachi's enquiring expression. "You get used to it," he added.

Itachi doubted that. By the third bout, Sasuke's voice was softer but he was accompanied by Naruto, who's growling and howling was downright alarming.

Kisame opened his eye, saw Itachi sitting bolt upright and chuckled. "Naruto will climax soon and then they will sleep. You are lucky they are tired tonight. Sometimes they go on for much longer." He relented a little and stroked Itachi's back. "I was shocked at first," he admitted, "but you start seeing it as indicator that everything is well. People will be pleased to hear it, because there has been tension between them lately, ever since Kabuto raided the ship."

"I would never become accustomed to it," Itachi declared.

Then again, he would not have to.

Next morning Itachi left a sleeping Kisame and sat, cross-legged, outside the door of the room that Sasuke and Naruto were occupying. After some time, Sasuke opened the door. He looked as if he had come directly from his bed and Naruto's arms, which Itachi decided was probably the case.

"Naruto said he could hear you waiting," he said by way of greeting. "Give me five minutes and we will go and pod the minkies." His face was suddenly serious. "After that I will need to do some thinking. For today, until I have finished thinking, you will behave as you did yesterday."

Itachi bowed. "Yes, Sasuke-sama," he replied.

The minkies tried to cooperate but it was difficult for them. Kiba had told them that they were being podded so that they would not be left behind. This had persuaded them to accept it but did not make the process less scary. One of the brighter ones started to ask questions about being on the ship; questions about fish and sleeping and whether Itachi would be there when they woke up. Itachi looked to Sasuke, not knowing what to say. He could see Kiba doing the same.

"I will look after you," Sasuke promised and then repeated it as his answer to any questions until, finally, the minkies settled and the podding could begin.

Itachi looked at the thirty child-sized pods.

"We'll begin moving them to the Sakura later today," Sasuke decided. "Kiba-san, I think that Dan-san will be the best person to oversee the task. I will speak with him and ask him to liaise with you. Itachi, stay here until Kisame-san comes to fetch you."

Itachi watched him leave.

"Why must you die?" Kiba asked once Sasuke had gone.

"I killed his mother, our father and the rest of our family," Itachi admitted.

Kiba sidled away. "Why are you still alive?"

Itachi was not sure. "I do not remember doing it," he suggested.

Kiba check and rechecked the pods until Kisame and Dan arrived. Kisame introduced Dan and Kiba. Then Itachi obediently accompanied Kisame back to the treatment room.

"Sasuke-sama asked me how much of your memory was gone," Kisame told him. "I told him that I thought it was probably about eleven standards."

Eleven standards; that explained the face that looked back from the mirror.

"He wants me to ask you some questions to check," Kisame continued.

Itachi nodded.

At the start Itachi did not recognise any of the names Kisame mentioned or the places he described. Later there were some that he knew or that piqued his memory.

"We have been running and hiding since we fled Tarrasade?" Itachi asked when Kisame stopped asking questions.

Kisame nodded reluctantly.

Itachi struggled to imagine it; everything he had been raised to be, gone. From what Kisame had said, he had not even clung to the remnants of his honour. He had slit the throat of a cat rather than give him over as fair reparation. He had killed outside challenge or combat. Kisame was solid, he had remained Kisame. What had Itachi become?

"Is it better this way?" he asked softly.

Kisame looked at him. "Yes. Yesterday was worth far more than the last ten standards. You are the person you were when we met. No one could have given me a more precious gift."

So Kisame may have still loved the person Itachi had become over those ten standards, but he had no longer liked him. Itachi shuddered. Perhaps it was better to die not knowing.

"I have to report to Sasuke-sama," Kisame told him.

Itachi nodded. Once Kisame had gone he began training, using moves designed for very limited space. His body was stiff, the regenerator on his arm hampered him, but the familiar actions relaxed him.

He kept going until Kisame returned, even though his limbs cramped and sweat dripped from his chin. Kisame told him that Sasuke wished to speak with him. Itachi cleaned up, brushed his hair and reported to Sasuke to learn his fate.

Sasuke was sitting on the floor. He indicated that Itachi should sit opposite him. Naruto lurked at the side of the room.

"I wanted to speak with you alone, but Naruto will not permit it," Sasuke admitted.

Itachi agreed with Naruto; Kisame had said he had been alone with Mikoto-san when he killed her. He bowed to Sasuke and then to Naruto before sitting.

"Firstly, I shall speak as your brother," Sasuke began. "As your brother, I love you and I do not want to kill you."

Itachi listened and understood. Sasuke did not want to kill him. That did not mean he would not.

He marvelled that Sasuke could still love him.

"Secondly, I shall speak as a son," Sasuke continued. "I have not forgiven you for killing my mother. I do not know if I ever could. However, I believe you were insane when you did it and that you have no memory of what you did or why you did it.

"As for you killing Father, there is nothing to forgive. He did not deserve to live. It was inevitable that either you or I would kill him."

Itachi looked into his brother's eyes but only for a moment. He was too ashamed to hold his gaze. Sasuke knew; he knew what Fugaku had done to him.

"Thirdly, I shall speak as leader of Uchiha. I know you are a murderer. There were the many others you murdered on that day and during the standards since. If I let you live and you murder again, I will bear responsibility for those deaths.

"Lastly, it is not only me. There are the other survivors of the old Uchiha. They lost people who were dear to them. And there is Haku. Haku can claim your life and I will not stop him."

Sasuke paused. Itachi made himself relax. This was the moment. He braced himself.

"You can live if none of the survivors of the old Uchiha or Haku demands your death, if a qualified Therapist agrees that you are unlikely to murder again and if you agree to give up the Uchiha name. If you wish, you can be sworn to me but it will be as Itachi, not as Itachi Uchiha. There will be no Itachi Uchiha. He will not exist."

Itachi froze. He had spent his whole life trying to be Itachi Uchiha. If Itachi Uchiha did not exist, who was he? He suddenly needed Kisame very badly.

"What if I say no?" he heard himself ask.

Sasuke stiffened. "Then you die with Itachi Uchiha," he replied. "Today."

Itachi watched as Naruto came over and whispered something in Sasuke's ear. He saw his brother nod and Naruto move away.

Next thing he knew Kisame was beside him. Sasuke repeated his judgement before he and Naruto left, leaving them alone. Itachi put out a hand and touched Kisame's plaque.

"If I am not an Uchiha, you cannot be a Companion," he whispered.

Kisame captured his hand and squeezed it. "I will always be your Companion. We do not need a plaque. It does not matter if you are Uchiha. You will have me and you will have Sasuke."

Itachi thought about it. What else had he ever had? His pride, perhaps, but he had given that up the day before when he had knelt at Sasuke's feet.

He did not wish to lead Uchiha, he knew that. Everything his father had done to him had been about breaking the part of him that was uniquely Itachi, so that he could be made over in Fugaku's image. The last thing he wanted was to walk in his father's shoes.

"It would be a fresh start," he admitted.

"You would be just Itachi," Kisame reminded him, with a smile.

Itachi sighed. "The others will probably kill me."

Kisame considered and nodded. "Yes, but at least you will not have forced Sasuke to kill you when he loved you enough to let you live."

Itachi had not thought of that. It made the difference. He did not want his blood on Sasuke's hands. Sasuke should not have to live with that.

He stood and went to the door. As he had suspected, Sasuke and Naruto were outside.

Itachi held Sasuke's steady gaze as he gave his answer.

"I agree."


	78. Pack

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**78. Pack**

* * *

Kiba watched the scene unfold from the sidelines. With him were Naruto, Rin and Sasuke-sama's advisors, Neji and Shikamaru. In the centre of the room were those who had been Uchiha when Itachi had slaughtered his family; Itachi was answering for what he had done.

Itachi knelt in the centre. Kisame had one hand fisted in his hair and other on a knife at his throat. The plaque in Kisame's forehead had been painted black. Sasuke stood at their side. The elite fighters who had served the old Uchiha were fanned out facing them.

Sasuke spoke.

"This is the man who was Itachi Uchiha. He killed my family. He killed many of your comrades.

"He does not remember committing those murders or his reasons for doing so. He remembers nothing of the last eleven standards. His memory from before that is patchy.

"I have demanded he give up the Uchiha name. He has done this. He is no longer an Uchiha.

"At this time, I am not demanding his life in return for the murders he committed. In my mind, this man is not that man.

"But each of you has that right. You can demand his life and Kisame-san will give it to you.

"I ask you to exercise or forfeit your right."

Kiba did not understand. Itachi-san had described Kisame as his best friend. He heard himself whimper and hoped that it was too quiet for others to hear.

Only, of course, Naruto had heard it. "They will be less likely to ask for Itachi's death if Kisame has to kill him," he whispered so softly that only dog or fox ears could possible hear. "They know Kisame loves him."

Kiba wondered which of the purebreds had thought of that. Not Sasuke-sama, Kiba was sure he would have held the knife himself rather than have asked Kisame to do it. It would be one of the scarily clever advisors; probably Neji.

"How do we know it is not an act?" Gai asked. "Or that he will not regain his memory and revert to his murderous ways?"

Sasuke turned to him. "He will be examined by a Therapist when we return to Tarrasade. The Therapist will be able to tell if he is likely to revert. Neither I or Neji-san think he is lying. If it is shown he is lying, or he shows any sign of reverting, I will kill him."

Kakashi stepped forward. "I forfeit my right to ask for his death for the murders he had committed in the past," he announced. "I will not give my reasons here, but you all know them."

Kiba made a small noise of enquiry. Naruto did not reply. Kiba understood. He was not yet pack. To be pack he would have to promise loyalty to Sasuke-sama. He was almost ready to do that. Each time he watched Sasuke-sama he edged closer.

Listening to him and Naruto the previous night had helped. Kiba had never heard anything like it. For Orochimaru sex had been a weapon. For Kabuto it had been a punishment. It had never occurred to Kiba that both the people involved could enjoy it that much.

Now he truly believed that Naruto was Sasuke's partner.

One by one the fighters forfeited their right to demand Itachi's death.

Rin snorted. "Impressive, Neji-san," she murmured, "but you'll find it harder to manipulate Asuma and Haku."

Kiba noticed that Neji did not reply. Itachi had been released by Kisame and was promising loyalty to Sasuke-sama. From the fighters' reactions, the ways they shifted and smelt, there was much about the pack that Kiba did not understand.

Then it was back to work. As well as looking after the foetuses and helping Dan-san with the podded minkies, so many people created a lot of mess for Kiba to clean up. He had mopped the corridors and was scrubbing one of the bathrooms when Neji came to find him.

"The people who have used the bathroom should be cleaning it," Neji complained. "You are not meant to be cleaning up after us." He sighed. "Two days away from Iruka-san and they have fallen back into their bad habits."

Kiba wondered who Iruka-san was and it must have shown on his face.

"Iruka-san is in charge of the domestic side of our lives," Neji told him. "He makes sure we are fed and clothed and comfortable. He also makes sure everyone does their share of cleaning and tidying. He has a team. I do not know if you will be part of his team or in a special baby care team." Neji suddenly gave a small smile. "I know how to make them all do their part of the cleaning. Don't do any more." He took the cleaning equipment from Kiba's hands.

The next time Kiba saw his equipment, Sasuke-sama was using it to scrub the lavatory that was the most convenient and had therefore had the most use.

Kiba was impressed by his skills. Even the corners of the floor shone.

There was an outbreak of communal cleaning. Kiba retreated to the laboratory to make sure no one took it into his head to clean there. When he emerged the place smelt terrible, at least to a doggy nose, but it was cleaner than Kiba had ever seen it.

He tried to imagine Orochimaru scrubbing a lavatory and failed.

Next time Naruto came to view the kits, Kiba told him that he was ready to promise loyalty to Sasuke-sama.

It was more complicated than he had thought. He could promise loyalty to Sasuke or he could swear to Uchiha. Even after Sasuke explained, Kiba was not sure what was meant by swearing to Uchiha.

"You can be loyal to Sasuke personally, like you were to Kabuto," Naruto explained, "or you can be loyal to Uchiha, which is like joining a family with Sasuke at the head of it."

Kiba understood. Swearing to Uchiha was becoming pack. He wanted that.

Three days later all the podded minkies, the tissue bank and the four tanked purebreds had been transferred to the Sakura. The plan was for the Sakura to lift and dock with the Oak so that its cargo could be transferred. Dan, Rin, Hamaki, Terai and Fu would make the round trip, which was expected to take three days.

The evening before they were due to lift, Kiba found Naruto in the laboratory viewing the kits. He looked up when he heard Kiba entering.

"There is something I have not told you," Naruto admitted. "Sasuke and I have purebred babies gestating on the Oak. Three." He hesitated. "I want to go and check on them but I don't want you to feel that I am favouring them above the kits."

Kiba was not sure what he thought about them having purebred babies who they had chosen as well as the kits, which they had not. "Three?" he queried. "I thought purebreds always chose to have babies one at a time."

Naruto flushed. "I thought they would be happier as a litter. Now it is a really big litter."

Kiba was less certain that they would be able to put the two litters together, but he decided not to say so to Naruto. "You should go. You will only be gone three days. I will look after the kits."

He was in the laboratory when Shikamaru entered and started looking at the gestators. Kiba watched him warily but Shikamaru kept his hands in his pockets so seemed harmless. When he had been there for twenty minutes, Kiba decided he had better speak with him.

"Kiba-san," Shikamaru acknowledged as Kiba approached.

Kiba nodded.

"Naruto and Sasuke would still like to move the kits to the Oak," he said. "Ideally, both the kits and the babies would be decanted in Tarrasade. The Uchiha home is in Tarrasade." Shikamaru looked back at the gestators. "These gestators cannot possibly be moved. They only operate when the surroundings are optimal."

Kiba was wary of even discussing the subject. He had thought that Naruto had accepted that the kits needed to stay in the laboratory until they were decanted, but that was before he had known that Naruto had three babies on the Oak.

"May I show you the gestators Naruto and Sasuke are using for the babies?" Shikamaru asked and moved to the controls of the holoprojector before Kiba could answer.

Kiba had not known the holoprojector was even connected to the rest of the information systems. A hologram of an egg-like gestator was projected and Shikamaru began describing its features while stripping away layers or expanding parts of the projection to show more detail.

It was an impressive piece of equipment. There would be no kinked tubes or faulty feeds. Alarms would sound if anything deviated from the parameters that had been set. When in the protective egg, the foetus would even survive exposure to space; the extra equipment in the egg would send it into stasis.

"I have worked out the modifications that we would need to do to use a gestator like this for the kits," Shikamaru told him. "They are trivial, just a matter of resetting the parameters."

"It is a much better gestator," Kiba agreed, "but the transfer process is too risky."

Shikamaru nodded. "I know. I have been working on that."

Kiba discovered that he was more willing to listen to Shikamaru than to Rin or Naruto. Naruto had not appreciated the risks. Rin had thought the risks acceptable. Shikamaru wanted to eliminate the risks. He was suggesting that they make a piece of equipment to make the transfer safe. He had even been through all the laboratories and the storerooms and found all the components. His plan looked sound. He was suggesting that they build and test it.

"Best do it while Naruto and Sasuke are away," he added. "Then we don't get their hopes up if we have to decide it is not going to work."

Kiba found himself smiling as well as nodding. The notion that Shikamaru would abandon his plan if it did not work made Kiba more confident. He had far too much experience of crazy schemes pursued to completion.

Also, Shikamaru had designed and built Naruto's collar; he had a track record of solving insurmountable problems.

It was hard work but Kiba could devote almost all his time to it now he was not was not tidying and cleaning. Shikamaru's technical skills were very limited but he could think his way around every problem that presented itself. Kiba had spent all his life building and maintaining laboratory equipment; he could make anything Shikamaru suggested trying.

"We make a good team," Shikamaru observed as he handed Kiba a drink and a ration bar.

Kiba looked at the ration bar. It was the first time anyone had fetched him food in a very long time, probably since he was a pup with Amachi.

"Yes," he acknowledged. "Thank you for the food," he added.

Shikamaru watched him biting into the ration bar. "Tell me about your life here," he suggested. "It will help me pass the time."

They had run the initial tests and done the first round of modifications by the time Naruto and Sasuke returned. Naruto had come directly to the laboratory to check the kits and had stood just inside the doorway, staring at what they had built. Shikamaru left it to Kiba to explain how it would work.

Kiba could see why Shikamaru had suggested building it when Naruto was away. Merely the notion that it might be successful excited him. He hugged Shikamaru. He even hugged Kiba. Kiba was glad that the initial tests had been so promising.

Then Naruto admitted that they had the mobile gestators; one of their other ships had delivered them to the Oak just before the Sakura returned to Jewel.

Over the next two days, Shikamaru, Kiba and Rin carried our ten mock transfers using a bundle of detectors and sensors in place of the foetus. The transfer unit performed perfectly. After the tenth, Kiba agreed that they should speak to Naruto and Sasuke.

"We can never eliminate all risk," Shikamaru admitted. "But the transfer is as safe as we can make it."

Naruto looked to Kiba.

"I think it is safe enough," Kiba confirmed.

"What does it entail?" Sasuke asked.

"We put the guts of the two gestators, both operating, in the transfer unit," Rin told them. "The conditions in the transfer until are strictly controlled. We move the bag that supports the amnion from one gestator to the other. As long as the amnion does not break the foetus will be fine. If it does break we have a vat of artificial amniotic fluid ready inside the transfer unit to support the foetus until we can mend the amnion."

"I suggest we transfer the largest and strongest kit first," Kiba said. "Then we watch and monitor for three days. If all is well, then we transfer the others. If there is a problem, that kit has the best chance of surviving being transferred back to his original gestator."

"This is probably hugely overcautious," Rin added.

"We like overcautious," Sasuke insisted.

The transfer took only a few minutes and went without a hitch. The kit appeared to be thriving in his new home. Even so, Rin agreed with Kiba that they should follow the original plan and wait the three days before transferring the other five.

"Gaara is going to visit tomorrow," Naruto told Kiba on the second day. "He thinks he was conceived here. He would like to see it before we move out."

Kiba was lost. "Who is Gaara?"

"My friend," Naruto replied. "He is a tanuki-human hybrid raised in the Kaze system."

Kiba knew that Amachi had favoured tanuki hybrids as berserk fighters because they could be put into hibernation. "Is he one of Amachi's hybrids?" he asked. "I am," he added.

Naruto smiled. He had smiled a lot more since they had taken the decision to transfer the kits. "I had not thought of that. You have that in common."

"And he has a collar like yours?" Kiba checked.

Naruto nodded. "But he only just got it. Shi-chan made it for him soon after we met. Before that his way of coping with the berserk thing was living away from other people."

Kiba was not surprised. Amachi had always advised clients to keep berserk fighters away from stimuli.

What Kiba could not understand was why Gaara smelt so familiar. There had been occasional tanuki-human hybrids about when he was young and none of them had smelt particularly special. Kiba had to stop himself rushing up to the stranger and butting him. He wanted to wag the tail he did not have.

Gaara seemed equally disconcerted. His blue-green eyes were wide. He was sniffing the air. He stared at Kiba.

"Is Kiba a common name for a dog-human hybrid?" he asked.

"Gaara?" Naruto queried.

"I have read the copy of Amachi's records that my father kept," Gaara told them. "They mention a dog-human puppy called Kiba. He had the puppy with him when he was on Kaze."

"You know each other?" Naruto queried. "That's awesome."

"Not know," Gaara clarified. "Remember in a way that does not involve memories." He walked up to Kiba, stood close and sniffed Kiba's neck.

Kiba let him. It felt right.

"Wow, Gaara, someone you can get close to without passing out," Naruto observed.

They sat down and, with Naruto's help, Gaara and Kiba began exchanging information. Gaara told Kiba why he kept passing out and described how the collar, despite its drawbacks, was so much better than what had gone before. Kiba talked a little about Amachi. They only realised that Naruto had slipped away when he returned. He was bouncing with excitement.

"Shi-chan has found some holovids of the two of you in Amachi's records," he announced. "You have to see them. The two of you are so cute."

Kiba watched the holoprojection of the two pups playing together. Shikamaru told them that it had been Amachi's plan to raise the tanuki-human hybrids in small groups. When Gaara had been the only survivor, Amachi had resorted to using the slightly older dog-human pup he had been raising as a demonstration model.

Naruto was soon insisting that Gaara was less inclined to pass out in Kiba's presence and suggested that Kiba accompany the group escorting Gaara back to his ship. Kiba agreed, partly to keep Naruto happy but mostly to spend a little more time with Gaara.

Once they reached the mooring, Gaara offered to show Kiba the inside of the ship he lived on. Kiba said that he could make his way back alone but the fighters insisted on waiting.

Kiba understood; he was now pack.

Gaara showed him the small changes that he had made, each a milestone on his journey to a normal life.

Kiba made encouraging noises but what he saw was a stark and empty shell that made his tiny kennel look welcoming and cosy. He now appreciated Gaara's point of view that passing out was a small price to pay. He did not think that he could have raised six kits to face a life like that; he was deeply grateful to Shikamaru for inventing the collar.

After returning from the spaceport, Kiba viewed all the relevant records. They were interesting. The last holovideos in the sequence were upsetting, because they showed Gaara's distress when separated from Kiba after two standards. There was no record of Kiba's reaction; he had not been the subject of the study.

He wondered if Gaara would choose to view the records or not.

The next day they transferred the other five kits.

Three days later they left.

Kiba had sent one small box of belongings and mementos on one of the hover platforms. He checked the gestators in their eggs. Then he and Naruto placed each into its harness and strapped it to someone's back: Kisame, Kakashi, Gai, Sasuke, Naruto and Kiba himself. One last visual check and Kiba followed Naruto out of the door, closing it behind him.

He did not look back. He looked forward, following his pack towards his new home.


	79. Atonement

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**79. Atonement**

* * *

They had pushed the Dart to its limits and jumped far too often for comfort but they brought the gestators to the Jewel system on the soonest possible day.

Haku knew why Sasuke had sent him on the Dart. He suspected that Sasuke was in the docking bay for the same reason.

"Walk with me," Sasuke asked.

Haku walked beside him but said nothing.

"He doesn't remember," Sasuke told him. "There is nothing for the last eleven or twelve standards, from before the massacre, and there are gaps from before that. He knows what he did to you but only because Kisame has told him." He took a deep breath. "I know you hate him. I know you have the right to demand his death. I am asking you not to do so. For Kisame's sake and for mine."

It was as Haku had feared. "Tell me how it is between him and Kisame," he requested.

Sasuke did not look at him. "They are close," he admitted. "Like they used to be."

"Fucking?" Haku asked.

Sasuke stopped. "I doubt it. No. Haku, it isn't my place to tell you why Itachi is the way he is."

Haku halted a little way along the corridor and turned to face him. "If you want to save his life, I suggest you forget such niceties."

They went to Sasuke's office and sat in opposite chairs. Haku waited. He refused to make it easier.

"You have some idea what my father was like," Sasuke began. "I know that some of the fighters will have told you."

"Some of it," Haku admitted.

Sasuke took a deep breath. His eyes were shut. "What Father did to them he also did to Itachi. Itachi had no one but Father. No mother. No carer. All he wanted was some love, or even some approval. Instead he was beaten and..." he trailed off.

"Then he reached fourteen and was sent to be cat," he continued. "He got away. He made friends with Kisame. They came up with a way of making Father stop. The vow of a Companion supersedes even that of an elite fighter to his clan leader; if Father laid a finger on him, Kisame would kill him. Father was furious.

"But the worst of the damage was done. Itachi was left the way he is.

Sasuke looked at him. "So, no, I do not think he and Kisame are fucking."

Haku was defeated. He knew that. Itachi was recast as victim rather than psychotic killer. "What do the others say?" he asked. "What did Asuma say?"

"They have agreed not to kill him," Sasuke confirmed. "Asuma does not trust him, but he has agreed to the idea of getting a Centralite Therapist to analyse his mind. We need to know the extent and nature of the memory loss. The Therapist will also tell us how stable he is. I have promised to kill him if he reverts."

Haku doubted that. "Where will he live? In my crew room?" he asked.

Sasuke flinched. "I have not got that far," he admitted. "He has given up the Uchiha name. He is sworn to me. Haku, are you going to demand his life?" he asked.

"I have not decided. I refuse to decide until I have seen him," Haku answered. "Aren't you due to go back to the surface, Sasuke-sama?" he asked pointedly. "We did not push ourselves to our limits to have the gestators idling here on the Oak."

The evening meal was a sorry affair. Shino and Anko were too exhausted to do more than chew and swallow. Haku knew he would be the same if it were not for the thoughts of Itachi and Kisame that refused to go away.

Choza had cooked some of Haku's favourite foods, which was kind of him but it meant that Haku had to eat and he had to be appreciative. He managed both, but it was exhausting.

Kunugi was completely silent.

Inoichi was looking at him with hopeful eyes; the very last thing Haku felt like was indulging one of Inoichi's fantasies.

Konohamaru was avoiding his gaze. Haku guessed that his relationship with Inari had moved into a new phase. He wondered who was fucking whom, or whether they were taking turns.

Sumaru was his usual taciturn self.

Even Tayuya was quiet.

Iruka was watching him.

The cats and Sumaru cleared away, cleaned up in record time and vanished. Choza took Inoichi and Kunugi away. Shino and Anko went to bed.

Iruka poured Haku tea.

"Do you want to talk about it, or should I tell you what had been happening?" Iruka asked.

The last think Haku wanted was to talk. "Tell me," he decided.

He listened in silence. They had been modifying Iruka's crew room to accommodate the kits. Apparently they came with a nursemaid, a dog-human hybrid called Kiba. There were issues about transferring the kits to the new gestators, so it was uncertain how long the others would have to stay on the surface. He had been right; Konohamaru and Inari were fucking like rabbits. Apparently Kono-kun had persuaded Inari to let him fuck him only to have the tables turned; Inari was nailing Kono-kun to every available surface as often as their duties allowed.

"It won't last." Iruka observed.

Haku agreed. It would burn itself out or Konohamaru would rebel against the notion that Inari was dominant in the relationship.

"I expect you are missing Kakashi-san," Haku commented.

Iruka coloured slightly, which was rather endearing. "Yes, we have never been apart this long since we met. Haku, have you decided about Itachi?"

Haku sighed. "The truth or what I told Sasuke?"

"Both would be useful," Iruka admitted.

"I would be crazy to demand Itachi's life," Haku admitted. "Whatever he says, Sasuke would never forgive me and Lady knows what Kisame would do, probably walk out the nearest airlock. I told Sasuke I would need to see Itachi before deciding but I just wanted to show him how hard it is. I will move Naruto's room so that Itachi can be next to Kisame." He shuddered. "By the Lady, I hope he is different."

* * *

He was, which helped a little. He was much thinner and a great deal quieter. He looked older but seemed younger. Kisame treated him as if he were made of glass, which hurt.

Haku showed him to his room. Itachi looked about and then, without warning, knelt at Haku's feet and touched his forehead to the floor.

"Kisame told me what I did to you, Haku-san. I cannot offer you my life because Sasuke-sama holds it. Is there anything I can offer you in reparation?"

Haku tasted an opportunity for revenge. "Sit on the bed," he ordered. Itachi did so and Haku sat on the chair. "Tell Kisame that you and I are going to talk and that he is not to interfere."

Kisame began objecting but was cut off by a look from Itachi that was reminiscent of the Itachi of old. "Wait outside, please," Itachi asked.

Haku was more direct. "We will leave the door open, but you sit over there," he pointed to a place in the shared part of the crew room. His chin came up. "You should be grateful I have not slit his throat, Kisame-san."

Kisame reluctantly went to sit in the place indicated.

"I loathe you," Haku began in a voice that was little more than a whisper. "I loathed you long before you all but killed me. We spaced together, you, me and Kisame..."

He did not hold back. Haku told him all of it. The killings. What it was like when Itachi fucked him. The bizarre role play with Haku dressed as Sasuke.

Then he described in minute detail the way Itachi had treated Kisame, what Haku had done about it and how Itachi had reacted.

Finally, he moved on to what had happened when Kisame had turned up on the Oak with Itachi's comatose body.

"That was how you should have stayed," Haku told him. "That was the plan. We kept your body going so that Kisame-san would not kill himself. Then we looked after him. I looked after him. In ways you could never do. In ways you would never be willing to do. And he was content, maybe not happy but content.

"Every day he would go and sit next to you in the tank and talk to you. That was fine because you were unconscious. You could not twist the knife you have buried in his heart.

"Only now you are here and he will suffer. Even if you are nice to him he will suffer because you are this cold, empty shell of a human being who can never give him what he needs."

Haku leaned back. He had finished. Itachi's skin was a bloodless; an unhealthy sallow. Haku stood up and left.

* * *

Kisame watched Haku walk away. He knew he should be grateful that Haku's knife had stayed in its sheath, but he dreaded what had been said. He walked to the doorway to Itachi's room.

Itachi was a little pale but he smiled. "I can see why you like him," he said. "He is very lovely and very kind."

Kisame's mind scrabbled for any hint of purchase. Yes, Haku could be kind, but to Itachi?

"Come in," Itachi insisted. "Shut the door. We should talk."

Kisame closed the door and sat on the chair.

"I want you to continue your relationship with Haku-san," Itachi told him.

So Haku had told him. "But..." Kisame began.

"No buts," Itachi interrupted. "I cannot do that for you. It makes me feel guilty. It would make me feel better if I knew that Haku-san was seeing to your needs."

Kisame was struggling. He remembered the scene that had followed Itachi catching them in the shower. "It never made you feel better in the past," he complained. "You threatened to castrate both of us."

Itachi smiled; at least Kisame thought it might be a smile.

"I don't remember," Itachi reminded him. "Please, Kisame. Do this for me. It will mean we can be close without me worrying about it being unfair on you."

Kisame liked the idea of being physically close to Itachi. He also, he had to confess, enjoyed Haku's ministrations. Would it be so wrong to have both? Was he completely and utterly crazy to even think it?

He was distracted from the thought by Itachi moving towards him. He shifted his position on the chair so that Itachi could sit on this lap.

"Please?" Itachi repeated.

"Perhaps," Kisame admitted.

Itachi was very quiet and very still.

"If you are sure it will make you feel better," Kisame conceded.

Itachi relaxed and laid his head on Kisame's shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered.

They sat like that for some time. Then Itachi touched the blacked-out plaque in Kisame's forehead.

"I do not like seeing this like this," he told him. "I would be happier if it were as it was but in your lockbox."

Sasuke had said that Kisame could keep the plaque but he could not wear it; Itachi was no longer Uchiha.

"I will see Rin," Kisame promised.

Itachi touched his cheek. "Good," he acknowledged, then slid off Kisame's lap and onto his feet. "I would like to rest now, before the evemeal."

Kisame recognised the dismissal. He stood up. Itachi opened the door for him and closed it behind him.

He was still more than a little dazed. His feet were taking him towards the infirmary, presumably because he had told Itachi he would speak to Rin.

She was not there. Only Sumaru was there, sitting beside the tank containing his mother's body. He looked up and seemed pleased to see Kisame.

"Kisame-san," he said.

"Suma-kun," Kisame replied. "Have you seen Rin-san?"

"She is with Naruto-san, Shino-san and Kiba-san connecting up the new gestators," Sumaru told him. "Think of it, Kisame-san, nine babies."

"I thought that three were many," Kisame admitted. In the old Uchiha, babies had been locked away in nurseries. He could not see Naruto agreeing to that. "I foresee much hiding in the gym under the guise of training, Suma-kun."

Sumaru sniggered.

It was good to see the lad smile and it hurt to see him sadden as his gaze went back to the tank.

"How is Natsuhi-san?" he asked.

"There is no change," Sumaru told him. "Her spirit left long ago." He blinked back tears. "I spoke with Naruto-san when he was here last time. We discussed letting her body go to her spirit."

Kisame moved closer and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Have you decided what you wish to do, Suma-kun?"

Sumaru nodded. "I want to let her go."

"Then you should speak with Sasuke-sama," Kisame advised. "Do you know where he is? Is he helping with the gestators?"

"No, the room is too small for four people, never mind five. Kiba-san started growling. Sasuke-sama told Naruto that he would be in his office."

Kisame could imagine. "Then I suggest we pay a visit to Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke did not look displeased to see them. He listened carefully to Sumaru's request that his mother's body be allowed to die. They discussed ceremonies with Sasuke keeping careful notes of what Sumaru had decided and what he would like to think about. Sasuke promised that he would speak to Rin-san and then Sumaru insisted that he would be fine walking back to the crew room alone.

"How did it go between Itachi and Haku?" Sasuke asked once Sumaru had gone.

Kisame shuddered. "I am not sure. Itachi is still alive. Haku talked to him for a long time and Itachi listened. Now Itachi is insisting that he wants me to fuck Haku."

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up. "That is unexpected," he admitted.

"It is terrifying," Kisame confessed.

* * *

Halfway through being tortured by Haku, Itachi had an epiphany.

The man Haku was describing was distressingly familiar.

Over the last eleven standards Itachi had become his father.

Then, as Haku described Kisame's life on the Oak, Itachi realised that the memory loss was a gift; his opportunity for redemption.

He would begin with Kisame.

Haku was gorgeous. He was obviously very fond of Kisame. Perhaps Kisame was equally fond of him.

Itachi fought the surge of jealousy that threatened to overwhelm him. It would be different if he could tolerate Kisame fucking him but he could not. Even if he could, Kisame would never do it.

Manipulating Kisame into agreeing was easy; it was clear that Kisame missed very much what Haku had done for him.

Having achieved his objective, Itachi persuaded Kisame that he wanted to sleep for a while before the evemeal. As soon as Kisame was out of earshot, Itachi began training. It was easier now that his arm was out of the regenerator. He showered. Then he sat and combed out his hair.

He decided he liked his room. It gave him privacy. It would make it easier.

As he performed the familiar routines, Itachi examined his plan. He would return Kisame to a state of contentment. He would do all he could to make him happy.

He would learn to live with Kisame fucking Haku.

He looked into the small mirror and thought of Kisame with Haku. The jealousy he felt showed in his face. Itachi erased the expression. He practiced smiling.

Fear had been his enemy when he faced his father. Now it was jealousy. He had eliminated his fear. He would do the same to his jealousy.

He dressed, slid open the door and scanned the room beyond. There was only a little time before the evemeal. Kisame was not in the crew room.

Itachi ventured forth. Several of the others were there, but they ignored him. Then Haku glided into his field of view. He was dressed in a kimono. He looked spectacular.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

Itachi bowed and then stood very straight. "I would like to thank you, Haku-san, for your frankness earlier. It is better for me to know. Kisame is my oldest and closest friend. I thank you for what you have done for him. I would be grateful if you would continue to look after him. I know that he would appreciate it greatly."

Haku gawped at him. Itachi savoured the moment. "Haku-san?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Haku pulled himself together. He smiled, if something so false could be described as a smile. "It would be my pleasure. I am very fond of Kisame-san"

Any satisfaction at Haku's reaction was swamped by a wave of jealousy. Itachi schooled his expression. He also smiled. "And he is very fond of you, Haku-san," he replied.

Itachi became aware that they had an audience. A number of single eyes were looking at them with fascinated amazement.

Kisame walked into the crew room. Every eye went to him. Itachi saw him slow as he spotted them together but he kept moving. He sat down on one of the couches.

Itachi bowed slightly, "Haku-san," he acknowledged and went to sit next to Kisame.

Haku did not bow in return. He stood and looked beautiful until Itachi settled onto the couch. Then he glided away into the galley.

Kisame looked at Itachi with trepidation.

Itachi smiled his best smile for him.

The evemeal was hard. Itachi told himself that he had been through much worse. He was exquisitely polite, particularly to those who were rude to him. At least the abuse was not physical; no one dared even jostle him. Itachi allowed the words, the silences and the looks run off his surface. He was alive. Fugaku was dead. He was with Kisame. He could derive joy from studying the man Sasuke had become.

Haku asked Sasuke to play the biwa. Sasuke hesitated but the others wanted it; Itachi realised that it was one of their rituals. At least no one expected him to be there. He sat in the other crew room with Kisame. Tendrils of music drifted through from the other crew room via the galley.

It was beautiful.

It cut deep.

Then Haku was gliding through the galley towards them. Like the music, he was beautiful. Itachi stood up. He carefully and formally excused himself. He insisted that Kisame stay and keep Haku company. He did not look back as he walked towards his room. He heard the rustle of silk behind him as Haku sat down next to Kisame.

He shut the door and leaned against it. This was the first of many such days. They stretched before him; his punishment for the atrocities he had committed.

This was better than the life he deserved.

And he must live it.


	80. Perspectives

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

******Scenes that are considered too graphic are replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**80. Perspectives**

* * *

Naruto floated in the warm water. The kits were safe in their new nursery, he had viewed the babies and Kiba had settled surprisingly well. They were on their way to Tarrasade.

Two divs before they had nine infants and their lives changed forever.

Nine.

Six of whom were unplanned and unwanted fox-human hybrids; short-lived, fast-aging and sterile with a variety of foxy features likely to make their lives difficult.

Like a tail.

Or worse.

Like being a berserker who had to be collared to stop him killing the people he loved.

"Dobe?" Sasuke queried.

Naruto focused on Sasuke who was standing at the side of the bath. He flushed. Normally nothing could stop him watching Sasuke wash himself yet Sasuke had finished without him noticing.

Sasuke slid into the water so that they were facing each other. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. He tried to smile. He moved towards Sasuke. Sasuke would fuck him. He would stop thinking. His worries about the kits and their future would stop buzzing about his head.

Only Sasuke was holding him at arms' length. "Naruto, what is wrong?" he demanded.

"I don't love the kits," Naruto heard himself say. "I didn't want them and I don't love them."

Naruto was horrified; was that what he really felt? It was true that he did not feel the same way about the kits as he did about the babies. What would Sasuke think of someone who could say such a thing?

Sasuke's hand came toward his face. Naruto wondered for a split moment whether he was going to hit him, but the movement was slow and it ended with Sasuke's hand cupping his jaw with his thumb stroking Naruto's cheek.

"Then I shall love them enough for both of us," he said.

Naruto's vision burred with tears. Sasuke was holding him, comforting him, making small noises to calm him, stroking his back.

"I don't want to raise baby narutos," Naruto admitted. "I compare my life to the life I had before and it is wonderful. They will compare theirs to Hoshi's and Haru's and Hikaru's. How will life seem good to them?"

Naruto found himself pushed far enough away so that Sasuke could look into his face.

"This isn't like you, dobe," he said gently. "You have always said that the quality of life is about loving and being loved, about happy days. Why should the kits feel differently?"

Naruto stilled. Sasuke had a point. He got cross with Sasuke when he obsessed about Naruto's future and now he was doing the same about the kits.

"I understand now," he said.

Sasuke looked questioningly at him.

"Why you get the way you do about my future," he explained. "I understand now, because I feel that way about the kits."

"I get that way because I love you," Sasuke reminded him.

Tears trickled down Naruto's cheeks. "So maybe I do love them?" he asked.

He was gathered back into Sasuke's arms. "I think so," Sasuke assured him.

He relaxed into Sasuke's embrace. It felt good. The tears stopped. They cuddled.

Sasuke smelt wonderful. As their bodies touched and moved over each other his scent changed.

**oo******oo**

"That was different," Sasuke commented.

Naruto snuggled closer and purred louder.

Sasuke stroked his back. "Do you want to stay here or go back to our room?"

The words flowed past Naruto; Sasuke would make the right decision.

"Back to our room then," Sasuke told him, "before I have to try to carry you."

Naruto whined as he was lifted and sat on the edge of the tub. Sasuke climbed out, swivelled Naruto about, pulled him to his feet and dressed him in a robe. He then parked him on a stool while he drained the bath, cleaned it, collected their stuff into a basket and donned his own robe.

Naruto watched him. He was in a happy, contented place. Being close to his mate was enough. He allowed Sasuke to guide him to their room. He even carried the basket.

Once inside he abandoned the basket, shed his robe and climbed onto the bed. He looked at Sasuke expectantly.

* * *

Naruto woke next morning feeling wonderful. He had not felt so good in a long time, since before Kabuto had raided the ship. He sat up and stretched.

Sasuke was fast asleep. Naruto doubted that he would wake anytime soon.

At least Naruto did not have to worry about disturbing him. He showered, dressed, viewed the babies, checked the kits and then made his way to the galley.

Iruka was there, alone. He smiled to see Naruto. Naruto kissed his cheek.

"No Kono-kun?" he asked.

Iruka smiled. "Kono-kun is no longer the early riser he once was. Inari wears him out. The two of them will be here precisely on time, but no earlier."

Naruto sat down at the table. Iruka poured him some tea.

"I am glad we are all home and heading for Tarrasade," Iruka confessed.

"With additions," Naruto noted, thinking about the meal the evening before at which Kiba had struggled to master the cutlery and Itachi had been infallibly polite despite almost half the crew making it blatantly obvious that they hated him.

"With additions," Iruka acknowledged. "It will be fine, Naru-kun. We are very lucky to have Kiba-san. Not only will he help us raise the kits but he is a friend to Gaara-san and Shikamaru says he is an exceptionally skilled technician."

"And Itachi?" Naruto queried.

"That may be a little more tricky," Iruka admitted.

There was no opportunity to discuss it further because the three cats arrived; first Tayuya and then Konohamaru and Inari together. Naruto noticed that Iruka did not move or say anything but that the three of them began setting the table and making breakfast. Tayuya was cook and Inari her assistant while Konohamaru served.

"Their teamwork scores were distressingly low," Iruka told him. "One of the challenges I set them was working together in the morning."

Naruto nodded approvingly, then touched Iruka's arm as he spotted a figure at the doorway between the galley and Haku's crew room.

Iruka was immediately on his feet. "Itachi-san, please join us," he invited.

Naruto watched Itachi walk across the galley towards them. He had never seen anyone who moved more gracefully.

If Itachi saw the expression of hatred on Konohamaru's face he gave no sign of it.

"Iruka-san, Naruto-san," Itachi acknowledged before taking a seat at the table.

Naruto settled for a nod. He did not think that Itachi merited being addressed as Itachi-san, but he had no wish to insult him.

Iruka poured him tea.

"What do you eat for breakfast, Itachi-san?" Tayuya asked.

Itachi smiled at her. "If there is any fruit, it would be appreciated, Tayuya-kun, and perhaps some bread."

Naruto noticed that while Konohamaru brought everything else the dried fruit was delivered by Tayuya, perhaps because Kono-kun refused to do so or maybe because Tayuya was hoping for a second smile, which she did indeed receive.

"I would appreciate it if you would add me to the duty rosters, Iruka-san," Itachi said. "I will, of course, do anything that you decide but I hope that I can be useful and not inflict my presence on others."

Iruka nodded. "I will allocate you some standard duties, such as we all share. It will be up to others to consider your specific skills in more detail."

"Thank you, Iruka-san," Itachi replied and them began to eat neatly but swiftly, obviously hoping to be gone from the galley before others arrived.

Naruto saw Iruka's gaze going again and again to the doorway. He knew that he was doing the same. What Itachi could not know was that he had chosen precisely the time Haku breakfasted.

Haku was three steps into the galley before he saw Itachi at the table. Naruto knew that there was no way that Haku would turn about and leave, just as there was no chance of Itachi leaving his meal half eaten and withdrawing. They ignored each other, Haku pointedly and Itachi quietly.

When Itachi finished he stacked his crockery and stood.

"Please excuse me Iruka-san, Naruto-san, Haku-san," he said. He took his crockery and cutlery to the sink. "Thank you, Tayuya-kun," he added.

Then he left.

Naruto found himself expelling a sigh of relief.

Haku sniffed. "You need not worry, Naruto-san; I shall not create a scene every time we meet." He twirled his butter knife between his fingers and Naruto was left with the inescapable impression he wished it much sharper and applied to parts of Itachi's anatomy. "He has told Kisame to fuck me and informed me that he is fine with it," he continued.

Naruto already knew, Sasuke had told him, but Iruka choked on his mouthful of food. Naruto patted his back and poured him more tea. Haku was scowling at the door through which Itachi had exited.

"Now I have to decide if he means it and whether it is a good idea," he added.

Iruka had recovered enough to speak. "What does Kisame think?" he asked.

"Kisame can be relied on to think with his cock," Haku informed them. "The problem is, will he be fucking me, Haku, or me as a substitute for Itachi?"

"He does not fuck Itachi?" Iruka checked.

"No," Haku replied. He looked over to the cats and Naruto guessed he would go into more detail if they had not been present.

"I do not think Kisame-san will be thinking of anyone else when he is with you, Haku-kun," Naruto told him. "I do not think anyone could and I do not think Kisame-san would want to."

Haku smiled at him. "That is kind of you," he replied. "However, I would be foolish to underestimate the strength of the bond between them." He sipped his tea. "I shall have to think about it."

Next to make an appearance was Kiba. He sat at the table looking uncomfortable. When Iruka asked him what he would like to eat he said he was not hungry, which Naruto was sure was a lie. Iruka responded by telling the cats to put out a selection of food, but Kiba just sipped his tea and stared at his empty plate.

Naruto realised that he was not eating because they had all finished. He had no one to imitate. Naruto smiled to himself; for once he had an excuse for a second breakfast.

He served himself from the food on the table and ate. Kiba watched for a while and then started eating. Haku and Iruka studied them, fascinated, but covering their interest with small talk.

"What do you do other than look after little ones, Kiba-san?" Haku asked.

Kiba was careful to swallow his mouthful of food before speaking. "I did all the cleaning and tidying. I was also Kabuto-san's laboratory assistant. I like working hard. I was built to be like that." He looked to Iruka. "Can you give me work? There will be little to do until the kits are decanted."

"We share the cleaning and tidying here, Kiba-san. It is an important part of being crew that everyone contributes. I shall assign you some chores, but it will not be many."

Kiba looked disappointed.

"Shikamaru-san tells me you are a talented technician," Iruka continued. "I have a feeling that he and Shino-san will have a very long list of tasks for you."

Naruto watched Kiba perk up.

"And perhaps, Naru-kun, this would be a good time to persuade Gaara-san to try moving into the guest apartment while Kiba-san has some time to spend with him. If Gaara-san wishes to remain with us in Tarrasade, it will be much better if he could live in an apartment rather than on his ship.

"Also the three of us and Kurenai-san need to discuss the nursery in the household in Tarrasade. There are probably many decisions that must be made."

Kiba looked positively happy at the thought of so much to do.

"What do you do for leisure, Kiba-san?" Haku asked.

"Leisure?" Kiba queried.

"For pleasure and relaxation," Haku clarified.

Kiba scowled at him. "I was not built or trained for pleasure or relaxation. I was built and trained to work hard and to serve others by doing everyday tasks that are too boring for purebreds to bother with."

There was silence, which Haku broke. "Naruto has fun, maybe you can too."

"Naruto is a much more complex hybrid than I am," Kiba answered. "One of his many functions is entertaining the purebred to whom he is bonded."

Naruto could see that Kiba's choice of words was unsettling Iruka and annoying Haku. "Perhaps you could go beyond your design and training, Kiba-san," he suggested.

Kiba considered and nodded. "Most hybrids are capable of far more than the engineers who built them intended. Even the minkies, and they have a far smaller proportion of human genes than you or I. Or Gaara. Or Kisame-san."

Iruka topped up everyone's tea cups. "Have you ever thought, Kiba-san," he said, "that perhaps your training was more about limiting your behaviour rather than encouraging you to explore your potential?"

Kiba was silent. Naruto could tell that he was thinking. "No, I have not thought that," Kiba replied. "But it is an interesting thought. Do you think it may also be true of purebreds?"

Iruka stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "Yes, Kiba-san, I believe that it may be as true of purebreds as it is of hybrids." He smiled. "You know, Kiba-san, I think you and I are going to be good for each other."


	81. Consequences

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**81. Consequences**

* * *

Breakfast was long finished when Sasuke woke; he had to walk the ship to find the people he wished to invite to a meeting that afternoon. However, his mild irritation at Naruto for letting him sleep soon faded as he met people and talked to them. He realised that he had been spending far too much time in his office.

"You could have told us at the midmeal," Asuma reminded him as Sasuke watched him playing with Keitaro. "Or announced it over the intercom."

"No," Sasuke answered. "The first assumes that people can drop what they are doing at a moment's notice and the second would be rude."

"Or sent Kono-kun," Asuma added.

Sasuke accepted that sending Konohamaru would have been an acceptable alternative. "I have learned more doing it myself than I would have sitting in my office," he replied. He looked at the table and the floor. "For example, I know now how much mess one small child can make. Do you think nine will make nine times as much? Or do you think that there will be economies of scale?"

Asuma laughed. "I imagine you will become a great deal more tolerant of mess." He was suddenly serious. "Of course, you could leave it to Kiba, Iruka and Naruto."

"But I will not," Sasuke told him. "I must move on, Asuma-san, Keita-chan."

"Say goodbye to Sasuke-sama," Asuma told his son and Sasuke found himself beguiled into a hug that left him smeared with paint and in possession of a still-wet piece of paper bearing a somewhat abstract representation of a flower.

Back in his office he uncapped his pen and wrote 'Keitaro, aged three' in the bottom left hand corner. Then he looked at his walls and decided that he would need somewhere to display such treasures.

Then Kakashi arrived as arranged the day before. Sasuke offered tea and invited him to the meeting later. Kakashi accepted the invitation, declined the tea and studied Keitaro's painting.

"I wish to discuss Itachi," Sasuke told him.

"You want my opinion so far?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"He seems to be the Itachi of twelve standards ago only less arrogant and infinitely more polite," Kakashi told him, "I would like to use him to review our security. We should defend against another raid and Itachi's mind works in exactly the right way. You could see that in the way he trapped the building on Jewel." He took in Sasuke's reaction. "Don't start being hopeful. There is one more person you have to persuade not to kill him."

Sasuke frowned, considering. There was only one other person who had been sworn to the old Uchiha. "Jiraiya?" he queried.

"Look inside your love ring to Naruto," Kakashi told him, then held up his hand to forestall any more questions. He began walking towards the door. "I have things to do. This afternoon's meeting should be interesting. I believe that Shikamaru has a new idea."

Sasuke could not stop thinking about the ring so he went to find Naruto. He found him with Gaara and Kiba moving stuff from the Gourd to Gaara's apartment. Sasuke patiently opened and closed doors until Naruto found a moment to speak to him.

"Is there something written inside your love ring?" he asked.

Naruto frowned and pulled the ring from his finger. He squinted at it and then handed it to Sasuke.

Sasuke cleaned the inside on his shirt and then angled it to the light. "In remembrance of what can never be," he read aloud.

Naruto scowled. "That's not very nice," he complained.

"I didn't put it there, dobe. Presumably whoever gave the ring to Jiraiya put it there," Sasuke told him.

Then he stiffened. The pieces came together: Jiraiya's reaction when he had seen Sasuke disguised as Hinata; the fact he was affected so badly when Sasuke played the biwa; the way Jiraiya had looked at him when Sasuke sucked him; a reason for Jiraiya wanting Naruto to wear the ring.

A full blood Uchiha female and one of those sworn to Uchiha as a babe; there had been no hope even before Fugaku had chosen Mikoto as the mother of his child.

But his mother had given Jiraiya the ring. His feelings for her had been reciprocated.

How could he persuade Jiraiya not to demand Itachi's death?

"Teme? Sasuke?" Naruto was asking.

Sasuke pulled himself back to the present. "We'll talk later, dobe," he promised. He took Naruto's hand and gently pushed the ring back onto his finger before kissing the inside of his wrist. "Later," he repeated. "Gaara and Kiba are waiting for you."

Next he came upon Kakashi, Kisame and Itachi in the corridor. Sasuke wondered if Kakashi had been speaking with Itachi about upgrading the security. It was possible; Itachi seemed a little less disconnected.

"We are on our way to train," Kakashi told him. "You should join us, Sasu-kun. How long is it since you took any exercise?"

Sasuke's mind went to the evening before. Worse, the look on Itachi's face confirmed that he was thinking the same. Did he really scream so loudly that it could be heard in the other crew room?

"I could spare some time before the midmeal," he admitted.

Sasuke had forgotten what it was like watching Itachi fight; the unique combination of mesmerising grace and ruthless ferocity. Of course he had Kisame to train with, so there was no need for him to hold back. Kisame concentrated on defence, occasionally throwing Itachi to give himself a few moments of respite; one all-out blow from Kisame and Itachi would break.

News of what was happening had spread quickly; Sasuke suspected one of the fighters had beaten out a long-short message. The Uchiha fighters arrived in ones and twos. Sumaru appeared and sat hugging his knees.

"How can he move like that when he is completely out of condition?" Dan asked of Kakashi.

"Mind over matter," he replied and then turned to Sumaru. "See, Sumaru-kun? It is not about physical strength, or even reaction speed, it is about attitude." He looked at Sasuke meaningfully.

Sasuke shrugged. "I accepted long ago that I would never be more than competent," he replied.

Kakashi shook his head. "You may think differently of you ever end up in a real fight."

"I have been in a real fight," Sasuke informed him. "With Neji, when we first met. He had a knife, I didn't. I won." He saw the horror on Kakashi's face. "I didn't tell you at the time because you and Naruto felt badly about losing me."

Perhaps, Sasuke thought as Kakashi landed yet another blow, it had not been a good idea to tell him about the fight with Neji. He was beginning to wish Naruto was there. Even Kakashi hit him less hard when Naruto was around; the growling had that effect.

"Maybe you would like Itachi to train with you instead," Kakashi suggested.

Sasuke hoped he was teasing; Itachi was incapable of pulling his blows. "I will always have more to learn from you, Kakashi-sensei," he replied, managing to duck one blow and jump over the sweeping kick that followed. The third move caught him but he went with it, absorbed the force he could not avoid and rolled back to this feet.

He was less prepared for the next and landed badly.

There was an ominous growling from the doorway.

He struggled to his feet, trying not to sway. At least Kakashi had the sense not to attack him again. Then Naruto was beside him, steadying him. He was snarling at Kakashi, which was not good.

"I am fine, dobe," he insisted. "Kakashi-sensei was reminding me that I should train more regularly."

"You will not hit him like that," Naruto informed Kakashi. "It is unacceptable."

There was an awful moment when Sasuke thought he would have to step between them but then Kakashi gave the smallest of bows.

"I was rougher on you than was necessary to make my point," he admitted. "I congratulate you on your self-control, Naruto-san."

Sasuke scowled at Naruto until he bowed back.

"I know that you would never intentionally hurt him, Kakashi-san," Naruto acknowledged.

Sasuke flinched; Naruto always addressed Kakashi as sensei.

Then Asmua was there smoothing things over. "You are insane, Ka-chan. You are lucky Naru-kun did not rip your head off." He smiled at Naruto. "What about working off some of that adrenalin? Against three of us? Or even Kisame?" He looked over to where Kiba was standing. "What about Kiba-san? He is a hybrid. Does he fight? Do you fight, Kiba-san?" he asked.

Kiba shook his head but Sasuke had seen Itachi's reaction, the way he had been about to speak but thought better of it. He would speak to Itachi about Kiba at another time.

"Not today, Asuma-san," Naruto was answering. "It is not a good idea for me to fight when I am cross."

Sasuke forced a smile. "We will see you all at the midmeal," he said. "Please excuse us."

"You should not have agreed to train without me there," Naruto told him as they walked back towards the crew room. "They are cross with you because of Itachi. Even Kakashi. Perhaps Kakashi more so. He always supports you, even if he disapproves. Like about the babies. Like about Itachi. Also, he understands Itachi. He does not like understanding Itachi."

Sasuke was stunned. It had never occurred to him that Kakashi could be conflicted or that Naruto would understand the complexity of the situation better than he did.

"Promise not to train without me there," Naruto insisted.

"I promise," Sasuke replied, still lost in the thought that Kakashi had wanted to hurt him, albeit subconsciously. Looking back, he should have been alerted by the brevity of Kakashi's visit to his office that morning.

He walked in silence at Naruto's side. When they reached the crew room he went directly to their room, into the shower, alone. He thought about Kakashi. When had he started taking Kakashi's support for granted? His mind kept coming back to the moment in the crew room when he had asked for Kakashi's uninformed and unquestioning support for his plan to trick Shikamaru into becoming Haru's genetic parent.

He was dried, dressed and seeking Kakashi before he had considered what he would say to him. He did not have far to go; Kakashi was sitting on one of the couches in the crew room.

"May I speak with you, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked. "Alone?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow but suggested Iruka's office as it was close by and the midmeal would start soon. Once they were inside and the door was shut Sasuke took a deep breath and began.

"I wish to apologise. Not for deciding to give Itachi another chance, because that was a decision that was mine to make, but for demanding your support without explanation when I wanted the crew to sign their chromosomes over. It was wrong of me."

Kakashi sat on the edge of Iruka's desk. He folded his arms across his chest and waited.

Sasuke realised he had not actually apologised. He bowed. "I apologise, Kakashi-sensei."

"I accept your apology, Sasuke-sama. Whose chromosomes did you need? Shikamaru's?"

Sasuke nodded. "Although yours also proved useful," he admitted. "And we used a smattering from the others."

"You used mine?" Kakashi queried but then shook his head. "I don't want to know. Sometimes you are too like your mother, Sasu-kun, only she was so utterly charming that we felt privileged to be manipulated."

Sasuke did not want to be reminded of his mother. The thought of his mother and Jiraiya being close had been too disconcerting. Then, unexpectedly, Kakashi's arms were around him. He leaned into the hug.

"We expect so much of you," Kakashi admitted, "and I wish you had not been forced into having children so early." He pushed Sasuke to arms' length. "Nine? Couldn't you have persuaded Naruto to put some of the kits into stasis? It was bad enough when it was triplets." He took in Sasuke's expression. "All right, I accept that was a stupid suggestion."

"It will be a joy," Sasuke insisted.

Sasuke convened the meeting directly after the midmeal. He had invited Kakashi, Iruka, Shikamaru, Neji, Asuma and Naruto. There was no cat present to make refreshments. Sasuke himself made tea.

"This meeting is for me," Sasuke began. "I have yet to fully grasp our current situation, never mind where we are heading. I would like to start with everyone making a contribution. Please do me the honour of speaking honestly and without formality. I shall start.

"I want to be there for my children," he began. "I want to see them every day. I want to help raise them. That means either staying in Tarrasade or having a clone of the household on this ship or another like it.

"I am not willing to sacrifice being with my children to grow the new Uchiha."

He looked to Kakashi.

"We must look forward," Kakashi said. "Long term we need a command structure and a household. We need both to be transferrable between Tarrasade and a ship. If there is crucial conference that requires Sasuke's presence, or if we need the command in a more central location, we move the household and the command to the ship and go.

"However, we must begin distinguishing between command and operational. Many tasks will be carried out by crews who will go out and come back. That will mean accepting that we need other crews. We will either have to split this crew, this family, or recruit others. Long term, we will need to recruit."

Sasuke turned to Shikamaru, who took a deep breath.

"We still need credit. We do not have the resources we need. Missions like ridding Kaze of slavers are excellent for our reputation but we were stretched to our limits. We need some steady income streams.

"I have an idea. It uses three pieces of technology in a new way. The first is the new light speed communicator relay they were selling on Chanx. The second is my database of holes. The third is minigates.

"You see, a minigate, with an aperture this big," Shikamaru extended his index finger, "is remarkably affordable. I asked the Gaters if it were possible to build them and, although they thought I was crazy, they said it was."

"A communication network," Sasuke surmised; his mind already full of the possibilities. "Can we afford to fund it" he asked.

"We can start small," Shikamaru replied. "Set up one route and use it to fund the next. I'm looking at possibilities."

"I am looking forward to hearing more," Sasuke admitted. "Do you wish to raise anything else?"

Shikamaru frowned. "We ought to set up an academy to train youngsters. And I agree with Kakashi, we need to separate command and operational."

Sasuke moved on. "Asuma?"

"We have to look at recruitment as a process rather than something that just happens. Sasuke, you and Naruto will have to accept that there will be an inner core to the new Uchiha, like a family, but many others with a more professional and less intimate bond. Also, the academy should form part of the recruitment strategy."

"Neji?"

"The Kabuto débâcle taught us that we cannot allow strangers close. I agree with Asuma that we must establish a recruitment system. The academy should carry forward the best aspects of catting and of the old Uchiha."

"Iruka?"

"We must think forward, plan more but retain flexibility. If we have an academy we must get it right, or we will not produce the type of adults we wish to recruit."

Sasuke turned to Naruto. He always offered him the opportunity to speak, even thought he usually chose to say nothing. "Naruto?"

"We must not lose sight of who we are," Naruto reminded them. "The old Uchiha was about perfection. Those who fell short or broke had no value. They were discarded. The new Uchiha is about fulfilling potential. Each person is precious. Even if they are not family, they will be Uchiha and we must care for them."

Sasuke was humbled; trust Naruto to give him so much when he had expected so little.

"And we are going to have a litter of nine," Naruto added. "Awesome!"

Sasuke came out of the meeting with five items written neatly on a card: prepare for babies and kits; command and operational; communication network; recruitment strategy; academy. He went to his office, propped the now dry painting up on a shelf, switched the display frame to the drawing of Naruto and took out a large sheet of paper.

He uncapped his pen and began.


	82. Littermates and stablemates

Thank you for the reviews. I read each one and really appreciate them.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**82. Littermates and stablemates**

* * *

Gaara and Kiba lay side by side on the large bed in Gaara's apartment.

Kiba stared at the ceiling. They had agreed that he would help Gaara learn to live other than on his ship. In return, Gaara would help Kiba learn to do nothing.

Doing nothing made Kiba uncomfortable. He shifted about. He began looking about the room. When he looked towards Gaara he saw a pair of dark rimmed, turquoise eyes looking back at him.

"You are very bad at this, Kiba-san," Gaara observed. "The idea was to lie still and think."

"Think about what?" Kiba asked. "All I can think of are all the things I am not doing because I am lying here."

"I was thinking about sex," Gaara told him.

Kiba's eyes snapped back to the ceiling.

"I have been able to masturbate since I got my controller. Do you masturbate?" Gaara asked him.

"No," Kiba replied. "It is forbidden," he added.

"Forbidden by whom?" Gaara asked.

By Amachi but Amachi was long dead. Kiba doubted if Kabuto would have cared, but Kiba had always tried to behave in the way Amachi had wanted. The minkies played with themselves. The bullmen fucked anything, including each other. Kiba was meant to be better than that.

"It was forbidden when I was younger," Kiba clarified.

"It feels good," Gaara informed him. "I would like a den and a mate," he added, "like Naruto has a den and a mate."

Kiba was suddenly and acutely aware that there was only one person that Gaara could get close to and that was him. "A mate?" he queried.

"Yes, a male mate, like Sasuke is Naruto's mate," Gaara answered.

They were on a bed together. True, they had their clothes on and they were two hand-lengths apart but that did not change that they were on a bed; together. "Do you have someone in mind?" Kiba asked, trying to sound casual.

"No," Gaara answered.

Kiba was relieved.

"I must be able to get close to people before I can find a mate," Gaara continued. "I can only get close to you but you are my littermate. Littermates are not mate-mates."

That was interesting. Being raised together did not stop the bullmen but the minkies never fucked anyone from the same litter. Kiba knew Gaara was looking at him. He turned his head and met his eyes. "You will be able to get close to others," he promised. "You are already better with Naruto."

"Naruto is taken," Gaara reminded him. "You are my littermate and Naruto is taken."

"Do you find Naruto attractive?" Kiba heard himself ask. There were moments when Kiba found Naruto disconcertingly beautiful; like the time when Kiba had seen him and Sasuke crossing the short distance between the bathroom and their room.

"Naruto is taken," Gaara repeated.

"He is bonded to Sasuke," Kiba agreed.

"I could show you how to masturbate," Gaara offered suddenly. "I am much better at it now. I almost never pass out."

They were littermates. Littermates did everything together. Kiba thought of the way Naruto had looked and sounded and smelt during those seconds it had taken Sasuke to guide him from the bathroom to their room. It made him hard.

"I'll get towels," Gaara told him.

Kiba made a useful discovery. It was easier to do nothing after he had masturbated.

Kiba had insisted on having a shower and putting the towels in the clothes-cleaner before Naruto arrived for the midday meal. He had also turned up the air flow through the filters. Gaara had asked why and Kiba had told him that they did not want Naruto thinking that they had fucked. Gaara had argued that Naruto would be able to smell the difference between masturbating and fucking but Kiba had insisted.

Kiba did not want Naruto knowing he masturbated. He might ask what Kiba thought about. Worse, he might think Kiba was not a suitable person to raise the kits.

Naruto arrived with a basketful of food prepared by Choza and packed by Iruka. This was the latest step in the plan. Eating together was an important social activity, so Gaara needed to be able to do it. Kiba concentrated on teaching Gaara table manners and etiquette, frequently checking with Naruto that he had everything correct. Gaara concentrated on coping with the stimulating tastes and smells of Choza's food. Naruto concentrated on being encouraging and stopping Gaara pitching forward into his meal when he passed out.

The midday meal took a long time but all three of them agreed that Gaara had made progress.

Kiba thought that Gaara would want to be alone for the rest of the afternoon but he was keen to build on his success. Naruto had arranged to train with others and Gaara wanted to watch.

"They will have very few clothes on," he confided to Kiba. "It is part of my research to decide what I find attractive. I do not want to miss this session because it is not only the warriors."

The session was in the large gym, which had a gallery. Kiba and Gaara chose a bench with a back, so Gaara would be supported when he passed out, and moved it closer to the balustrade so that they had a good view.

Gaara's eyes flitted from person to person. Kiba's perusal was less overt. If there was a pattern to what Kiba found attractive it was in behaviour rather than looks: Naruto on his way back from the bathroom; Shikamaru when he looked at Neji in a certain way; Haku when he gazed longingly up at Kisame; Sasuke when he was so tired that his eyelids, with their impossibly long eyelashes, drooped.

He suggested that it was how a person behaved rather than what he looked like, to Gaara. Gaara admitted that it was a possibility and went back to avidly consuming the half naked men with his eyes.

By the end of the session Gaara had a list: younger rather than older; slighter rather than heavily set; moved gracefully; blond. Height did not matter. Kiba looked over the ones who could be considered bond and saw Dan, Naruto and Kakashi.

"You find Kakashi and Dan attractive?" he asked, trying to work out if 'blond' was code for 'Naruto'.

"Yes," Gaara admitted, "but they are a bit old and I don't really like them having only one eye.

There were far more brown haired people than blond people. If the crew was anything to go by, there were more reddish haired people than blond people. "Maybe someone would dye their hair blond for you," Kiba suggested.

Gaara considered. "They would not be blond. They would be pretending to be blond."

Kiba thought about the few people he had known. "One of the young men in the tanks is blond," he said.

Gaara perked up. "Can we go and see?" he asked.

Kiba tried to put Gaara off the idea; there did not seem any point in considering someone who had been tanked to stop them dying. However, Gaara was persistent and Kiba was not used to winning an argument with an adult. They made their way to the infirmary. No one was there, at least no one conscious.

Gaara almost passed out at the unfamiliar smells but a touch from Kiba brought him back.

Kiba peered into the each of the tanks in turn. Gaara did not get past the second, which contained the young man with long, white hair.

"He is beautiful," Gaara whispered, only taking his eyes off the body's face to scan his body. "Do you remember what colour his eyes are?"

"No," Kiba admitted. "Gaara-san, he may be a horrible person. He may be cruel. You should not decide you like someone just because of how they look."

"Are you sure you can't remember what colour his eyes are?" Gaara repeated.

* * *

"Exactly why do I keeping finding Gaara in my infirmary?" Rin-san asked during one midday meal.

The question was addressed at Naruto but he looked to Kiba. "It is my fault," Kiba admitted. He decided to lie a little to forestall the more embarrassing lines of enquiry. "We were going to places that smelled strange. He looked at the young men in the tanks. He likes the look of the blond one."

"He is remarkably handsome," Dan observed, which won him a killer stare from Rin.

"What is their status?" Sasuke asked.

"We will never get the symbiote out of their bodies, no more than we can get it out of Sumaru's," Rin informed them. "The truth is that, even if I give them all the treatments I can think of, they are unlikely to survive. The only reason Sumaru's people survive is that the ones that don't have died out generations ago. I can't even put them in stasis, it will kill them, and they are slowing dying in the tanks. They will be dead within a standard."

Shikamaru looked up. "Can't you genetically alter them to have at least some of the predisposition?" he asked. "I mean, you have Sumaru-kun's genome and Natsuhi-san's, maybe some more in the records. Run a comparison, guess at the genes that give resistance and back engineer targeted tissues."

Rin stared at him. "It would be complete guesswork. It is far too experimental to risk," she insisted.

Shikamaru shrugged. "It was just an idea. I thought it might be better than dying."

"Do it," Sasuke ordered. "If they die they die. We will have tried our best."

It was only a few days later when Kiba went to Gaara's apartment and found him agitated. He looked like he may have already passed out more than once, so Kiba did not ask questions until they were settled on the couch together.

Gaara told Kiba that he had gone to the infirmary only to be turned away. Apparently Rin had made some comment about the young men in the tanks receiving treatment.

Kiba decided to tell Gaara about the conversation in the galley. "It is better to try and cure them then leave them to die slowly in the tanks," he finished.

Gaara stared at him. "You will ask Rin each day and tell me how he is doing," he insisted.

Kiba listened carefully to what was said at meals. If there was not enough information to satisfy Gaara he would ask Dan. He did not ask Rin.

They were trying Shikamaru's idea. They had altered the young men's genomes to be more like Sumaru's. They were now going to rouse one of the young men to see if it had helped them adapt to the symbiote.

"Which one?" he asked of Dan after the midday meal.

"Why..." Dan began and then smiled. "Gaara-san," he surmised. "No, it is not Gaara's blond."

* * *

The young man died. Rin used what she had learnt to inform a second round of genetic modification. The other two made it. Rin admitted that she had no idea whether the genetic modifications had helped.

Kiba went to the infirmary, to collect information for Gaara. The blond one was still unconscious but the other was awake and Dan seemed pleased with the idea that Kiba would speak with him.

He was dark haired and black eyed, with unusually thick eyebrows. He was not handsome or even ordinary; he looked odd.

"I know you!" the young man declared, pointing at Kiba. "You were there! You were one of them!"

"Please calm down, Lee-san," Dan said patiently. "You must rest. It is true that Kiba-san was liberated from the laboratory on Jewel, as you were."

"He was one of them! He held me down while the grey-haired one stuck needles in me!"

"I am sorry that I hurt you," Kiba told him. "They owned me. When you are owned you do as you are told."

The dark haired young man, who Dan had called Lee, blinked. "Slavery is evil," he stated. "It was not your fault. I no longer blame you."

Kiba decided not to explain that you had to be human to be enslaved. "That is kind of you, Lee-san," he acknowledged, "I am honoured. I thank you."

Lee smiled at him; he had relaxed and suddenly looked fragile. From where Kiba sat beside Lee's bed he could see the white haired young man lying on one of the other treatment beds.

"Do you know him?" Kiba asked Lee.

Lee followed his gaze. "Yes. His name is Kimimaro. I was with him and Jirobo-san when we were taken."

Kiba guessed that Jirobo was the one who had died. "You are close?" he asked, knowing that Gaara would ask.

Lee grimaced. "No. We were fighters in the same stable. I am sorry that Jirobo-san is dead, but no, I was not close to him and I am not close to Kimimaro-san."

Ring fighters; that made sense to Kiba. The bullmen had been sent out to find three healthy specimens, so they had chosen to raid one of the stables. The stable owners offered food, accommodation and a promise of glory to young purebred men with few prospects other than crime or eking out an existence on the edges of starvation.

Kiba was slightly surprised that Lee was a ring fighter. He seemed too slight. On the other hand, the odds against him winning would be high; if he was any good he would be exactly the type of fighter stable masters used to trick the bookies into paying out.

"What is he like?" Kiba pushed, knowing that Gaara would be desperate for information.

"We rarely spoke," Lee admitted. "He and Jirobo-san were the best fighters in the stable. Kimimaro-san can even fight blindfolded."

Kiba went to check the kits before reporting to Gaara. He was worried about the kit with the tail. The kit had stopped gaining mass. It was a bad sign. He decided to do one more check before discussing it with Naruto. If he left it any longer, Naruto would wonder why Kiba had not raised it. He would visit Gaara, tell him about Lee and Kimimaro, warn him that he would be unable to visit him for a goodly number of days and then speak with Naruto.

* * *

Gaara began missing Kiba immediately. It was as if the idea of Kiba not visiting was enough to remind him what it was like to be lonely. It made him realise that Kiba would not always have time to spend with him; the kits should and would always come first.

Like Sasuke would always come first to Naruto.

He must make more friends; even though it was difficult, even though meeting people made him pass out.

So, the day after Kiba told him he would not be visiting, Gaara went to the infirmary. He was familiar with the infirmary from when Kimimaro was still tanked. He had spoken to Dan. He told himself that he was visiting Lee, because Kiba visited Lee and he was filling in for his littermate; it was not about seeing Kimimaro.

Lee was in a side room. He looked up when Gaara entered.

"I am Gaara," Gaara began. "I am Kiba's littermate. He cannot visit you so I am here in his stead."

Lee managed to bow, despite being in a bed. "I am honoured, Gaara-san. What is a littermate?"

Gaara considered. "My foster brother," he decided. "Kiba is my foster brother."

"Please sit down, Gaara-san. Is Kiba-san well?" Lee asked.

Gaara sat on a chair. "One of Naruto's kits is doing badly. Kiba looks after the kits."

"Kits?" Lee queried.

"Babies," Gaara decided. It was close enough. "Naruto is Sasuke's mate. Sasuke-sama is the leader of the Uchiha."

"I am on Sasuke Uchiha's ship?" Lee asked. "The Sasuke Uchiha? The Last Uchiha?"

Gaara wondered whether Dan or Rin ever spoke to him. "Yes," he answered.

"And Naruto-san is the Naruto they showed in the holovideo, his partner, the fox-human hybrid?"

Gaara did not think there was a second Naruto and Naruto was definitely a fox-human hybrid. "Yes."

"Are they as in love as they looked in the holovid?" Lee asked.

Gaara had not seen the holovideo. "Naruto is bonded to Sasuke. Sasuke loves Naruto very much." He considered. "They wear love rings. They have a den." A thought suddenly occurred to him. "They are gestating children."

Lee clasped his hands. "They are starting a family? How full of hope for the future." He smiled. "And what do you do, Gaara-san?" he asked.

Gaara pondered what he did. "I used to lead a whole people but I resigned. I am learning how to live. Naruto and Kiba are teaching me." He could see that Lee did not understand. "They are canine-human hybrids who have lived with purebreds. I always lived apart. They are showing me how to live with purebreds." He decided to leave off 'without snapping their necks'.

"Kiba-san is a hybrid?" Lee asked.

Gaara stared at him. "You did not notice his fangs?" he asked.

Lee flushed. "I thought they might be artificial," he admitted.

"Kiba is a dog-human hybrid, Naruto is a fox-human hybrid, I am a tanuki-human hybrid. A tanuki is another member of the canine family like foxes and wolves." He studied Lee's expression. "Do you dislike hybrids?"

"No!" Lee insisted. "I have never met any except for the weird ones who captured me." He shuddered.

"Kiba said they were bull-human hybrids," Gaara told him. "I understand they are all dead. Kiba said that Itachi shot each one in the head."

"Oh," Lee replied. "Good." He shuddered again. "They were not nice."

Gaara did not know if they were nice or not. They performed acts that were not nice, like kidnapping Lee and raping Itachi, but they had been ordered to do so. He had killed hundreds of people without being ordered to do so. Did that make him less nice than the bullmen?

"How is Kimimaro-san?" he asked, wishing to change the subject.

"I do not know," Lee told him. "He woke up and asked Dan-san for a separate room. Kimimaro-san always refused my overtures of friendship," he admitted. "The last time I tried he told me that he would kill me if I spoke to him again so I decided that I would wait for him to speak to me."

Gaara was not to be deterred. "I shall introduce myself," he decided.

Kimimaro was in the next side room. He opened his eyes when Gaara entered. They were a vivid green. Gaara was not disappointed. He looked at Gaara for a moment then closed them again.

Gaara decided Kimimaro was resting. He found a chair and sat down. He was very handsome. Watching him was pleasurable. Even the two red spots on his forehead were more of an enhancement than a blemish.

Then Kimimaro made a strange clicking sound. Gaara was not sure how he did it. His lips did not move.

"What is that sound you are making?" he asked.

The vivid green eyes opened. "You can hear it?" Kimimaro demanded.

"Yes," Gaara answered.

"You are not purebred," Kimimaro observed. He shut his eyes. "I do not associate with hybrids. Go away."

Gaara was puzzled. "Why do you not associate with hybrids?"

Kimimaro turned his head away. He did not open his eyes. His neck was long, white and gorgeous. "Hybrids are abominations," he answered. "They are not pure."

Gaara suspected Sasuke would put him out the nearest airlock if he called Naruto an abomination. Gaara was more understanding; he was accustomed to being called a monster. "You are hardly pure, Kimimaro-san. You have the symbiote inside you now."

Kimimaro was very still. "There is something inside me?" he queried. Then he started shouting, demanding that Gaara should leave and that Rin should come to speak with him.

Gaara would have stood there and watched him yell but Dan appeared in the doorway and politely asked him to leave. He did so and almost walked into Kisame, which made him pass out.

He woke on one of the treatment beds. Kisame was sitting a safe distance away waiting for him to waken. He looked different. Gaara realised that he had a limpet regenerator on his forehead.

"I apologise for causing you to lose consciousness, Gaara-san," Kisame told him.

"I walked into you, Kisame-san," Gaara acknowledged. He recalled Kiba telling him that one way of extending a conversation was to enquire about a person's health. "Have you injured yourself, Kisame-san?"

Kisame touched the regenerator. "No. The plaque I wore was an Uchiha plaque. Itachi gave it to me. Itachi is no longer Uchiha, so I cannot wear the plaque. It had to be cut out."

Gaara nodded. He understood about the plaque. He did not understand about Itachi and Kisame. He had asked but no one could explain it to him. He considered asking Kisame, but decided against it.

"What was wrong with our guest?" Kisame asked.

Gaara considered. "He thinks hybrids are abominations," he replied.

Kisame grinned. Gaara almost passed out. Kisame had many pointed teeth that Gaara was sure would strike fear into any mammal. "Does he?" Kisame queried. "Please excuse me, Gaara-san. I will not be long."

There was a short silence, then yelling, then Dan's voice objecting, then more yelling that was more like screaming than yelling. Kisame reappeared and resumed his place on the chair.

"Our guest will keep his ideas about hybrids to himself in the future," he informed Gaara.

Gaara hoped that Kisame had not hurt him.

Dan stalked into the room and hit Kisame on the arm. "Damn it, Kisame, I had to sedate him. Did you have to?"

Gaara had not known that Kisame and Dan were friends. Only a friend would dare hit Kisame like that. "Kisame-san was being kind," he insisted. "Now Kimimaro-san will not call Naruto an abomination in front of Sasuke-sama, so will not end up being tossed out the nearest airlock."

The other two turned and looked at him. Dan started to laugh. Then Kisame began laughing.

Gaara discovered that laughing was infectious. He knew that he would pass out. His last thought was that he needed more experience of laughing.


	83. Survival

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story. Particular thanks to those who review regularly; your continued support is very much appreciated.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**83. Survival**

* * *

All thoughts of Gaara and Kimimaro vanished when Kiba rechecked the kit with the tail. He had stopped gaining mass and he was moving less than the others. Kiba was beginning to think that he had been wrong; perhaps a foetus with a tail could not be promising.

When Naruto came through from the babies' nursery Kiba could see that he had waited too long; Naruto already knew that the kit was in trouble.

"He is not doing well," Naruto admitted. "What can we do?"

"We could begin experimenting," Kiba suggested. "We could change the feeds slightly, based on what one would anticipate would be required by an individual who was more fox, less human." He hesitated but pushed on. "How far so you want to go to save him if he starts to slide away?"

Naruto's skin had changed colour. His whiskers had drooped. Kiba prepared to catch him should he faint. "You think it will come to that?" he whispered.

"I do not know," Kiba admitted. "I know we should discuss it now and not when seconds will make a difference between whether an intervention will succeed or fail. We will find Sasuke-sama and talk."

They talked with Iruka and Kakashi as well as Sasuke. The five of them settled around the table in the galley.

"If the kit fades away," Kiba explained, "it probably means that there is something fundamentally wrong, some clash between his fox side and his human side. If we save him, that clash will probably continue to cause him problems. We will probably go from crisis to crisis. Each time he will acquire more damage, more problems, with which he will have to live."

"But you cannot be sure," Kakashi observed.

"I hope I am wrong," Kiba admitted. "I hope that some simple changes in his oxygen supply or his nutrients will solve the problem and he will pick up."

"But you are experienced in intervening to save kits that are not thriving," Iruka checked.

Kiba decided to be honest. "Orochimaru often wanted deformed foetuses to live so that he could study them. It was my job to keep them alive. I can do it."

Naruto growled. "He is not deformed," he stated.

Kiba understood. "He is beautiful," he agreed.

"Kiba-san wasn't talking about our kit," Sasuke reminded Naruto. "He was saying that he can keep him alive even if there is something seriously wrong with him."

Naruto stared at the wall. "No, we will let him go rather than do that to him. We will do only the simple things." He looked back to Kiba. "I am relying on your judgement, Kiba-san, and I will agree with any decision you make." He turned to Sasuke. "I wanted not to name the kits until we found out what they were like, but this one needs a name."

Kiba understood. The kit must not die without a name. If he died without a name they would be treating him as if he was less than a person.

"Kazuki," Sasuke suggested. "Harmonious, because we want his fox and human sides to work together and hope because that is what we have for him."

"Kazuki," Naruto agreed.

* * *

Kiba woke just before the timer buzzed. He reset it before checking the kit, as he had every one hundred minutes for the last five days. The kit was no worse. There might be the first signs of improvement. Kiba quashed the thought. It was too early. If he thought it Naruto might sense it. He did not want to raise Naruto's hopes.

He visited the head, had a quick shower and investigated the latest basket Iruka had slid through the door of his room while he slept. He dressed in the clean clothes and demolished the food. Then it was back to the kit, pouring over the records of the last three hundred minutes, trying to decide if he should try the current settings a little longer or try changing them. He decided to leave them be.

There was the sound of the door between the nurseries sliding open. Kiba was surprised; he had thought that it was ship's night. A check of the chronometer confirmed that everyone should be asleep.

It was Naruto. He was clad only in pyjama pants that clung to his hips. A heady cocktail of scents accompanied him. Kiba reminded himself that Naruto was not only taken but bonded; he had no interest in anyone but Sasuke.

Naruto saw Kiba and blinked. Kiba could see him trying to assemble enough coherent thoughts to speak.

"There is no change," Kiba told him. "He is no worse. You should go back to bed."

Naruto shook his head. He stared at the displays on the gestator and tried to use the viewer. Kiba could see he was too tired to do either. Then he climbed onto the platform and lay down, curling his body around Kazuki's gestator.

Kiba made a decision. He went into his room, through the crew room and into Sasuke and Naruto's room. Luckily the door was not locked.

The room reeked of Naruto, of Sasuke and of sex. A sleeping Sasuke was as beautiful as Kiba had imagined he would be. Kiba shook him awake.

"Naruto needs you," Kiba told him. "He is in the kits' nursery and he needs you."

Sasuke threw off the bedcover. Kiba caught a glimpse of his nakedness before turning away.

"Kazuki?" Sasuke demanded.

"No worse," Kiba assured him, "but I think Naruto is at his limit." He heard Sasuke pulling on clothes and risked looking. He was already on his way into the babies' nursery.

He gave them as long as he could but he had to carry out the one hundred minute checks. Kiba slid open the door to the nursery. Naruto was curled around the gestator. Sasuke was curled around Naruto. They were asleep.

It was the most beautiful thing Kiba had ever seen.

He managed to carry out the checks without disturbing them. There was a hint of improvement. Perhaps, if it continued for the next one hundred minutes, he would risk telling Naruto.

He watched them for a few minutes before creeping back into his room and closing the door.

Naruto and Sasuke were awake when he went in to perform the next checks. Naruto had the projector working. Sasuke was looking at the hologram. Naruto was studying the display on the gestator.

"He's gained mass," Naruto announced before Kiba was across the threshold. "And he is moving more."

Kiba smiled. "That is good news," he agreed. "I still must carry out the hundred minute checks," he warned them.

Naruto nodded and moved away from the gestator. He stood with his arm around Sasuke.

The kit had improved more than Kiba had expected. He was making progress.

"It is hopeful," he admitted.

* * *

Sasuke stood in the docking bay waiting for the Silver Leaf's airlock to open. It was good that they had managed to rendezvous before Tarrasade. He just wished it had not been this day. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. At least Kiba thought Kazuki was making progress.

He went through the motions of greeting: a bow here; a response there; not rising to Tsunade-san's comments. He remained focused on his objective.

"Jiraiya-san," he stated. "I have something I wish to discuss with you."

Jiraiya bowed. "I am at your service, Sasuke-sama."

They went directly to Sasuke's office. Sasuke signalled that Jiraiya should take a seat and went to make tea. He had prepared the tray earlier, it was merely a matter of heating the water and pouring it on the leaves. He watched Jiraiya via a strategically placed mirror as he waited. There was no indication that he knew about Itachi. He was studying the picture of Naruto, which Sasuke had displayed deliberately.

"Perhaps I should change that," Sasuke said, placing the tray on the low table between the chairs.

"It is remarkable," Jiraiya commented.

"One of Klennethon Darrent's artists," Sasuke told him as he walked to his desk and switched the frame to show a landscape. He returned to the table, sat down and poured tea for them both. He sat back in his chair; this was it.

"I have come to realise," he began, "that you and I are the two people who loved Mikoto-san most." He saw Jiraiya tense and his expression become wary. "Perhaps even the two people she loved most," he added.

Jiraiya relaxed a little but said nothing.

"So there are two things I need to tell you. The first is that I have chosen to use Mikoto-san's genome for my daughter. Her name is Hoshi and she will be born when we reach Tarrasade. Only Naruto, Rin, Shikamaru and now you know her genetic heritage. Shikamaru was helping me optimise the babies' genomes. Naruto and you have the right to know."

"A clone?" Jiraiya asked.

"I have changed her eye colour," Sasuke admitted.

Jiraiya smiled slightly. "Let me guess, to blue," he suggested.

"It was all I could do to acknowledge Naruto," Sasuke admitted. "Of course, that was when Naruto had made it clear that there would be no baby narutos. After Kabuto's interference we have six baby narutos. Perhaps I would not have done it if I had known that would be so."

Jiraiya shook his head. "It good that your children should bear a mark of your love for him. Six little narutos as well as three little Uchihas. Have you thought through the consequences?"

"Not really," Sasuke admitted. "Then there is the second thing, Jiraiya-san. Kabuto interfered in other things. He woke Itachi."

Jiraiya froze. His expression became unreadable.

"Itachi remembers nothing of the last eleven or twelve standards and his memory of earlier times are also affected. It is as if he has undergone a selective mindwipe. That does not absolve him of his guilt and responsibility, but it mitigated my response. I have stripped him of the Uchiha name but I have chosen not to kill him. I have reserved that right, but I have chosen to wait to see what manner of man he is.

"The others have left the matter to me; even Haku has agreed to do so. Some of them have done this for me. Many have done it for Kisame's sake. Perhaps a few have done it partly for Itachi's sake, because they remember the boy and the man he could have become without our father.

"I know you can demand his life. I am begging you for a stay of execution."

Sasuke waited. He could see Jiraiya studying him.

"You would expose your family, your children, to a man who kills for no reason?" he asked.

"No," Sasuke replied. "He will see a Therapist when we reach Tarrasade. I have already sent to the Central Institute for someone suitable. If the Therapist says he is a danger, I will kill him. Until then we will all be vigilant."

Jiraiya's nostrils flared. "You get him in here, now. I want Neji here. No one else."

"I can't," Sasuke admitted. "I promised Naruto I would not be in Itachi's presence without proper protection. One of the kits almost died yesterday. Naruto is in no fit state to stand as bodyguard."

"Use Kakashi," Jiraiya told him. "Do it or I will demand Itachi's death today."

Within twenty minutes Itachi was sitting opposite him and Jiraiya. Kakashi was standing as bodyguard. Neji was off to the side slightly, observing.

Sasuke wished he were less tired.

"Do you remember me?" Jiraiya asked Itachi.

Itachi nodded. "You are Jiraiya. You often visited the household when I was a child." He frowned. "Like Kakashi, you vanished after Sasuke was born but no one spoke of it. From what I have heard since waking, you must have been working with Kakashi-san preparing the crew for Sasuke."

"I have the right to demand your death," Jiraiya told him. "I had known Mikoto-san for the whole of her life. She was the best person I have ever known and I cannot imagine ever meeting her equal."

Sasuke saw Itachi flinch.

"Explain to me why I should not kill you," Jiraiya demanded.

Itachi did not look at him. "For Kisame," he answered. "There is no other reason. It is the reason I chose to live like this rather than to die." His gaze went to Jiraiya's face. "The day we can be sure that Kisame will choose to live rather than to die, you can kill me. You would be doing me a favour I do not deserve."

Sasuke felt sick. Did Itachi really feel like that? This was not the Itachi who had agreed to his terms on Jewel. What had happened?

"We could concoct a scenario to get you back in the tank," Jiraiya suggested. "A relapse. Rin-san would normally refuse to do such a thing but I believe she would make an exception for you."

Itachi's gaze went to Sasuke. His eyes, those eyes that had always burned with such intensity, were dead. "You would agree to that? Please, in memory of what were once were to each other. Please."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, not fighting the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"Haku-san told me what I had become," Itachi replied. He looked at the top corner of the room. "It is hard to live with the knowledge that he won. That even killing him did not stop it. That there was none of me left. That I became the monster that he wanted me to be. That I became him.

"And I am weak," he confessed. "I want to be with Kisame. I want to speak with him. I want to be close to him. Even though I know he is better off with Haku. Pretending that I want them to be together is the hardest thing I have ever done. I may break. I may tell Kisame what I feel. That will not happen if I am tanked."

Itachi's lifeless eyes came back to him. "Please," he begged. "Please."

"No," Jiraiya stated. He turned to Sasuke. "If Haku told him, then Haku wants him to have to live with the knowledge."

"Sasuke-sama, at least ask Haku if he would agree to it." Neji requested.

Sasuke had not expected Neji to speak. He was, as always, impossible for Sasuke to read. He was even paler than usual, Sasuke could see that.

"Please let me fetch Haku, Sasuke-sama," Neji asked.

Sasuke studied Itachi. He had withdrawn behind his hair. He looked frail. Sasuke wondered if he was broken. He looked to Neji and nodded.

The wait was excruciating. No one moved. Sasuke found himself wondering what Kakashi was thinking. Then his eyes went to Keitaro's painting. He doubted that Itachi had ever been allowed to paint messy, abstract flowers.

He hated his father.

Finally Neji returned with Haku. Haku acknowledged everyone but Itachi and took the chair Sasuke indicated.

"It has been suggested that Itachi should have a relapse and be tanked," Sasuke explained. "This would return the situation to as it was before Kabuto interfered. However, Jiraiya-san believes that this would clash with the reparations you have demanded."

Haku did not hesitate. Sasuke wondered if Neji had warned him.

"Jiraiya-san is correct," Haku replied. "It is not acceptable to me that Itachi should be tanked."

Sasuke watched Itachi change. He straightened. His head came up. He pushed his hair back from his face. It was the familiar composed, elegant Itachi. It was difficult to remember the broken, begging man who had been there before.

Was this Itachi a lie? Was the other? Could they both be true?

His eyes were still dead.

"You have no idea what you are asking of him, Haku-san," Kakashi stated, his voice harsh.

Again, Sasuke had not expected the interjection. What did Kakashi mean by it?

"Probably not," Haku admitted, "but I know he has to live through it if he is to have any hope of redemption."

Itachi's head snapped about. For a moment he stared at Haku. Then he looked forward again, his face was expressionless but his eyes burned.

Haku stood up. "I will go now," he stated. He turned to Jiraiya. "I add my voice to Sasuke-sama's. Please do not kill him." He bowed four times. "Sasuke-sama, Kakashi-san, Jiraiya-san, Neji-san."

Then he left.

"Send him away," Jiraiya said, gesturing towards Itachi.

"Itachi, please go to your room," Sasuke said.

It sounded bizarre, like he was chastising a child.

Itachi stood and bowed. "Sasuke-sama," he acknowledged and left.

Jiraiya looked to Neji. Neji looked to Sasuke, who nodded.

"He is deeply depressed," Neji told them. "Not suicidal, or he would not be capable of worrying about what his death would do to Kisame, but beyond despair. For some reason that I do not understand, what Haku said helped. Perhaps it was the mention of redemption, the possibility of a future. Have you ever discussed the future with him, Sasuke-sama?"

"No," Sasuke admitted. "I have never thought beyond him not dying."

"If you are going to expect him to live, you must give him something to live for," Neji warned him.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"No one deserves what he has been going through," Kakashi insisted. "Not even Itachi. He is working with me on the security systems. I will be more encouraging, less cruel."

"Jiraiya-san?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I give up my right to claim his life. I will leave him to Haku."

Sasuke sat in the chair for some time after they had gone. Then he forced his aching body into action and moved to his desk. He switched the display frame to the picture of Naruto. It helped anchor him.

It was a good day; Kazuki was making progress.

It was a good day; Jiraiya had not demanded Itachi's life.

It was a good day; he still had his son and his brother.


	84. Solution

Thank you for the reviews. I read everyone and they inspire me to continue this story. Special thanks to Mileryn, silver-eyed and danalexkayarimad, who review regularly.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**

* * *

**

84. Solution

* * *

Neji's argument with Haku had been brief but intense; it had been started, held and completed during the journey between the crew room and Sasuke's office. Neji had done everything in his power to persuade Haku that what he was doing to Itachi was beyond cruel; that Haku needed to show mercy and allow Itachi to be tanked.

Haku had refused but he had agreed to meet with Neji once the meeting in Sasuke's office was over.

Neji walked quickly from Sasuke's office to the small treatment room where he had his therapy sessions. While he walked he pondered. Haku had refused to allow Itachi to escape into the tank but his talk of redemption had spoken to Itachi when he had seemed unreachable.

"Thank you," Neji decided as he entered the treatment room.

Haku looked at him askance. "I did not do what you wanted."

"No," Neji agreed, "but you did something. When he went into that room he was beyond hope. Truly, Haku. You did not see it." He shuddered at the memory.

Haku sniffed. "I am trusting your judgement. You are sure that he had reached rock bottom?"

"Yes," Neji confirmed; there was no doubt in his mind.

"He begged to be put in the tank?" Haku checked. "Begged?"

"Haku," Neji warned. He sighed. "Yes, he begged. He would have begged for death, but he will not endanger Kisame's life."

"I should think not," Haku replied indignantly. He smiled slyly. "And this business of him being fine with Kisame fucking me, it is false?"

Neji found himself uncertain, both about Itachi's feelings and whether he should be giving Haku more ammunition. "He said it was pretence," he confirmed. "Haku, I think he loves Kisame very much. Maybe the Itachi you knew did not, but this one does."

Haku was very still. "I know that. He loves him enough to give him up, even though it is breaking him to do it."

"And Kisame loves him," Neji added.

"And Kisame loves him," Haku echoed.

"May I ask what you are going to do?" Neji enquired.

Haku looked at him and smiled. "You may ask but I will not tell you," he answered.

* * *

Itachi had breakfasting timed perfectly. He would slide into the galley when it was busiest, take a seat at the least populated part of the table and quietly thank Tayuya as she delivered a bowl of rehydrated fruit. Usually he managed to eat, clear his dishes and exit without speaking more than a few words.

That morning the mood around the table was buoyant because the kitling was out of danger. Itachi remembered how exhausted Sasuke had looked the day before in his office; he was not surprised that neither Sasuke nor Naruto were present.

Recalling Sasuke's face was a painful reminder of what had been decided. There would be no escape into oblivion or death. There was no future. There was only a present that had to be endured.

He took his dishes to the sink, bowed slightly to Tayuya and slipped noiselessly out of the galley.

There was a basket against his door.

Itachi stared at it. He toyed with the notion that Iruka may have put it there, or Tayuya, but he knew it had been left by Haku. Any vestige of doubt was eliminated by the neat label bearing his name in Haku's slightly childish hand. Itachi picked the basket up and carried it into his room, sliding the door closed behind him.

He took a deep breath, put aside the notion that he was defusing a bomb and investigated its contents.

There was a fresh set of bedclothes, which was fine; Haku made up the others' beds but Itachi was relieved rather than offended that he chose to stay out of his room. The dark red bedcover was a little more disconcerting. It was nice. Itachi liked it. Why was Haku giving him a bedcover that he liked? How did he know that Itachi would like it?

Then there was the bottle of hair conditioner. Itachi opened it and sniffed warily. It smelt familiar and Itachi guessed that it was what Haku himself used.

Itachi wondered if it was a veiled insult about his hair.

* * *

Haku timed his orgasm perfectly so that Kisame was pushed over the edge by the sight of him climaxing. He wiped away the balm and the semen, then snuggled under Kisame's arm.

"We can do that again later?" he asked.

Kisame managed only a grunt, but Haku felt the arm tighten around him. He decided that this was probably as good a moment as he would find.

"Are you the jealous type, Kisame-san?" he asked.

Kisame considered. "No. Why do you ask? I will not ask that you give up helping the others. They are my comrades, my family, and they need you."

Haku cuddled closer. "I was just checking. I was never sure what you thought when Itachi fucked those young men. Not me, I was cat, but the whores."

Kisame sighed. "It made me sad," he admitted. "He got so little joy from it. At least he had some kind of relationship with you, however weird."

Haku smiled. "Kisame, he hated me. I know when someone who is fucking me hates me."

"By that time Itachi hated everyone, even himself. He hated you because you exposed so many of his weaknesses. You do know he finds you attractive?"

Haku did. He always knew when a man wanted him. "Do you think so?" he asked.

"Princess," Kisame warned.

Haku straddled his chest and sat on his stomach. "I have a plan," he admitted.

"A plan?" Kisame asked cautiously.

"I have thought very carefully about it. I think this Itachi is different from the one I knew. He is an older version of the young man you knew, before he broke and became a killer. I have decided that we need a long-term solution."

"A solution?"

"Yes a solution. I have decided that the obvious solution is a threesome. You, me and Itachi."

Haku found himself lifted off Kisame's stomach and sat on his dressing table. Kisame was sitting on the bed, staring at him.

"Explain," he ordered.

Haku had imagined Kisame responding in various ways, but none of them had included a demand for an explanation. He took a deep breath. "How many standards have you and Itachi had to sort out some kind of sexual relationship?"

"Fourteen," Kisame answered.

"So it isn't going to just happen," Haku suggested.

"We had issues," Kisame admitted.

"You could put it that way," Haku said wryly. "You are a sexually repressed top. Itachi is so damaged that it is hard to tell, but the chances of him ever bottoming, even if he had standards of therapy, are low."

Kisame flinched.

Haku smiled at him. "You like fucking me. Did Itachi ever fuck a cat other than me?"

"No," Kisame confirmed warily.

"So I will be your solution." Haku allowed all his feelings for Kisame show in his face. "The two of you can fuck me. Together." Kisame's reaction was immediate and obvious. Haku was pleased. It was going well. "Not soon," he warned. "Itachi will require careful handling. It will be a long journey."

"Haku, you hate him," Kisame reminded him.

"No, I hated Itachi Uchiha," Haku informed him. "I do not know this Itachi. He has done nothing to make me hate him. He is in my crew room. He is crew. I look after the people in my crew room. I have been remiss in not looking after him. You tell him that he is to expect to be looked after."

* * *

Kisame knew it was crazy but he did not have a better idea. He had watched Itachi slide further and further away from him. He had to do something.

He resorted to standing between Itachi and the door to his room, cutting off his escape route.

"I wish to speak with you," he stated.

At least Itachi looked at him, which was better than most days recently.

"I am not taking no for an answer," he added.

There was a trace of surprise on Itachi's face. He gave one, small, reluctant nod. Kisame stepped to one side and then followed him into his room, closing the door behind him. He sat on the chair. Itachi stood as far away from him as the small room would allow.

"You lied to me, Ita-chan," Kisame began. "You said that you wanted me to fuck Haku because it would make you feel better and because you could be close to me without feeling guilty. You are worse, not better, and you no longer let me near you." He took a deep breath; subterfuge did not come naturally to him. "Perhaps I should stop fucking Haku."

Itachi took a step towards him. "No, you must not do that," he insisted.

Kisame patted his thigh. Itachi shuddered but Kisame ignored it. He did not know what was going on in Itachi's head but he was going to make him sit in his lap if he had to pick him up and put him there.

"Sit here," he ordered. "Or I will go now to Haku and tell him that he is not to touch me again."

Itachi came over and primly perched on his knee.

Kisame ignored how rigid he was. "Better," he confirmed. "I have a message for you from Haku,"

Itachi was utterly still.

"He no longer thinks of you as Itachi Uchiha. He has decided that you are a different person. You are Itachi, his crewmate, who lives in his crew room. He intends to look after you."

Itachi was off his lap and staring at him. "Is this some cruel joke?" he demanded.

Kisame hoped not. He would never forgive Haku if it were. "No. I want you to let Haku take care of you."

"You have asked him to do this?" Itachi asked.

"No, I would not have dared to even suggest it," Kisame admitted. "It is Haku's idea."

"And if I say no?" Itachi asked.

"Then I will have to stop spending time with Haku," Kisame told him; at least that was not a lie.

Itachi would not look at him. "He has starting leaving things for me," he admitted. "First that bedcover and hair conditioner. Since then clothes and cushions and hand cream. Things I like."

Kisame looked at the bedcover. It was Itachi's favourite colour. He had not known that Haku had already started. "Good," he replied.

"Kisame, how does he know what I like? Are you telling him?"

"No," Kisame answered. "We did space with him for over a standard."

* * *

Itachi soon realised that it was not only Haku.

Kisame stopped allowing Itachi avoid and ignore him. An assertive Kisame was different. Itachi's stomach fluttered every time Kisame stood up to him.

Kakashi had begun discussing ship's security him rather than issuing orders and demanding reports.

He had his first conversation with Shikamaru. Itachi discovered that it was impossible to be disconnected when talking to Shikamaru; he had never had to think so quickly and so hard outside combat or battle.

Then Sasuke stopped him in a corridor and suggested that they fix a time for a game of shogi.

Itachi, without choosing to do so, began to think beyond mere existence.

* * *

They were in large gym with most of the rest of the crew. Kisame was pleased because telling rather than asking Itachi to train with him had worked.

Itachi was looking good. He had put on a little flesh. His skin was less sallow and the shadows about his eyes had lightened. His hair was glossy.

They were preparing to leave when the music started; first softly and then swelling to fill the space. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked about.

Haku glided down the stairway from the gallery. He moved, inexorably, towards Itachi.

Itachi was absolutely still; his eyes riveted on the approaching figure.

Haku stopped three paces from his target. He held out his hand. His lips moved. Kisame could not hear what he said.

Itachi offered Haku his left hand. Haku stepped forward and gave Itachi his right hand. Itachi placed his right hand on Haku's back over his left shoulder blade. Haku rested his left arm on Itachi's right with his hand near Itachi's shoulder.

Their stance triggered a memory of standing guard during official Uchiha functions. Kisame belatedly recognised the rhythm of the music.

It was a waltz.

They danced.

By the Lady they looked good together. Kisame saw Itachi pull Haku closer so that their bodies were touching. They moved as one with deceptive speed and incredible grace.

It was beautiful.

"He's been practicing with Kono-kun," Kisame heard Inari tell Sasuke, which explained how Haku knew the steps.

"Just the waltz?" Sasuke asked. "This one dance?" he clarified.

"No, four or five different ones," Inari replied.

Kisame smiled.

Trust Haku to think of it.

Itachi was sorry when the cadence of the music indicated the end of the dance. He signalled a spin and Haku responded perfectly. They separated and bowed to each other.

There was applause.

And some stomping.

Even a few whistles.

Haku was flushed. He looked gorgeous. If he had been anyone else, if they had been alone, Itachi might have kissed him.

Instead they walked separately from the floor.

* * *

Watching Itachi and Haku dance became the highlight of the journey to Tarrasade.

The babies and the kits made progress. Plans were designed and discussed. The Silver Leaf was sent out to trade for light speed communication relays. Shikamaru and Neji were despatched on the Dart to negotiate with the Gaters; Hamaki, Terai and Fu went with them for protection. Inari and Konohamaru had a row and stopped fucking. Gaara passed out less often and made a new friend in Lee. Kimimaro refused to come out of his accommodation; he complained that Gaara was stalking him. Tayuya realised her crush on Itachi was hopeless, fought with Sumaru and was locked in her punishment room. Kiba discovered that sitting in the galley while Choza cooked was comfortable and ensured a steady stream of titbits.

Every third day the entire crew, whether they had been training or not, gathered in the gym to see Itachi and Haku dance.

The Dart returned and left for Dar so that Shino could introduce Anko to his family. Gaara wallowed in unrequited love while Naruto tried, but failed, to convince him that there was a difference between lust and love. Kimimaro reluctantly accepted that he would have to stay with them until Tarrasade. Sasuke agreed that Lee could stay longer, initially as a guest. Inari and Konohamaru made up and could not keep their hands off each other. Plans for the nursery went on permanent display in Iruka's office. Kurenai ran a series of baby care classes. Tayuya pretended to be interested in babies to make up for disappointing Iruka-sensei. Kiba began seeing Choza as a person as well as a source of food. The babies and the kits thrived.

Then Itachi and Haku danced the tango.

Inari and Konohamaru barely made it to the nearest storage bay. Gaara passed out and was caught by Lee. Hamaki, Terai and Fu vanished. Asuma chasséd down the corridor in search of Kurenai. Naruto placed a hand on the small of Sasuke's back, steered him out of the gym and then bore him off to their room. Shikamaru watched avidly with Neji standing behind him, arms wrapped about his Shika's chest. Rin and Dan danced between the spectators in the gallery. Iruka gave up trying to bat Kakashi's hand away and submitted to having his hair taken down.

Kisame watched the two people he cared for most; one of whom he loved and one of whom he was on the edge of loving.

Itachi's body went through the ritual of finishing the dance. He was dazed, caught between the familiar aftermath of intense exercise and a slew of conflicting emotions. He stood there, motionless, as Haku walked away from him and out of the gym.

Then Kisame was beside him, anchoring him.

"Go after him," Kisame suggested.

Itachi looked at him. "But..." he queried.

"Don't think about it," Kisame recommended. "Leave the thinking to Haku. He's the expert when it comes to stuff like this."

Haku was on the verge of deciding it had not worked when he heard Itachi's step behind him. He smiled and kept walking. Itachi followed. When he heard increasing hesitation in the pattern of Itachi's footsteps he waited for him. They walked side by side to the crew room, not touching.

As they entered the crew room they were greeted by Sasuke's screams of ecstasy. Haku felt Itachi tense.

"It is a good thing," he said gently. "Would you want him to be like you?"

Itachi looked at him in horror. "How could you ask?"

Haku gave the smallest of shrugs. "Your reaction begged the question," he countered.

"It is so un-Uchiha," Itachi admitted.

"It is very new Uchiha," Haku replied.

Itachi considered. "Yes, it is very new Uchiha," he agreed. "Post-Naruto Uchiha."

Haku laughed lightly. "I like that. Post-Naruto." He smiled. "We are having a conversation, Itachi-san."

"Indeed we are, Haku-san," Itachi acknowledged.

"Then we should celebrate," Haku replied.

Haku stopped in front of what Itachi had thought was one of the unused rooms and slid open the door. Inside was a tastefully furnished and decorated room. There was no bed; it was a sitting room. Haku gestured that he should enter.

"Please take a seat, Itachi-san," he invited.

Itachi settled onto the couch. Haku adjusted the lighting, set some music playing and took the chair opposite, across a low table.

"This is very nice," Itachi observed.

"I took advantage of my position," Haku admitted. "I thought we needed somewhere private to meet other than our bedrooms."

Itachi thought he understood. "Because there are beds in bedrooms," he suggested.

Haku smiled. "You much prefer dancing to fucking, Itachi-san," he responded. He reached for a small box. Inside there were packs of cards. "I thought we would play bezique. Unless you do not remember the rules."

"I know the rules," Itachi confirmed.

"Do you?" Haku asked him, passing Itachi one pack so that he would remove the unwanted cards while Haku did the same to a second.

"The rules of bezique," Itachi clarified, putting out his hand for Haku's cards. He shuffled both together. "Are there other rules?" he asked.

"Kisame comes first," Haku answered.

"Kisame comes first," Itachi echoed, sliding the deck towards Haku.

They each cut the pack. Haku won. He dealt in the three-two-three manner typical of the game and then turned the top card to choose trumps.

It was the king of hearts.


	85. Homeward

Thank you for the reviews. I read each one, the ones from those who have been reading from the first posting and others from those who have found this tale more recently. Feedback inspires me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**85. Homewards**

* * *

They sat around the table in the small meeting room. No one other than Shikamaru looked pleased to be there. Naruto was uncharacteristically morose and his whiskers were drooping. Neji stayed very still and silent; he was watching Sasuke, who was scowling. Kakashi was cleaning his nails with his knife. Asuma showed no trace of his usual good humour; he was staring at Kakashi's knife.

It had seemed a good idea to have a live action drill instead of the usual simulations. Putting Itachi in charge of the opposition had sounded sensible.

They finished listening to Shikamaru's detailed and animated analysis of what had occurred.

"Let me summarise," Sasuke said dryly. "The best outcome for us would have been Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto and me escaping using the Cherry and that required Hamaki, Terai and Fu to launch a kamikaze attack using the Blossom and for us to blow up the Oak."

Asuma winced. Kakashi threw his knife. It stuck in one of the junctions between two of the metal wall panels.

"Even that best outcome," Sasuke continued, "would have meant us leaving three of the kits because we have yet to update the evacuation plan and the people bringing the babies to the Sakura could manage one extra shell each but not two."

"I had no idea the modifications we had made to the Spear and the Gourd were so effective," Shikamaru prattled, "and the way Itachi used the minkies was brilliant. Imagine managing to smuggle the pods onto the Silver Leaf without any of us noticing. By the Lady, he actually cut through our hull. During a drill!"

"Shika-san!" Sasuke growled. "We are not here to discuss how fiendishly creative Itachi can be. We are here to discuss why every level of our defence failed. Kakashi-sensei, do you have nothing to say?"

Kakashi sighed. "Itachi had told me that the Oak could not be defended with the number of people we have. I refused to listen. Now he has won the argument and forced me to pay attention. He and I will work on a new strategy as our priority." To the others' surprise he smiled. "By the Lady, he can be amazing."

Part of Naruto agreed. The rest was coming to terms with a future when he might have to choose between Sasuke and the kits, or Sasuke and the babies, or the babies and the kits. He would feel less guilty if he did not know his answer; Sasuke would always come first, then the babies and lastly the kits.

"Kakashi-sensei," he interjected into a gap in the conversation, "we need another equivalent of the Cherry. We should be evacuating the children separately to Sasuke."

"Naruto?" Sasuke queried.

Kakashi nodded. "Naruto is right, Sasuke. We will work on it. Perhaps we should be investigating Kiba's potential as a bodyguard as well as a nursemaid."

Naruto felt better having said it. Having Kakashi agree that he was right had helped. He re-engaged with the discussion. Shikamaru and Neji were explaining the plan for the last section of their journey.

They would deliver the Silver Leaf to a system two gated jumps from Tarrasade. The Oak would then jump back through an ungated, poor hole and wait whilst the Silver Leaf docked and Jiraiya investigated the current situation in Tarrasade. Once enough time had elapsed for him to complete his task, the Dart would be sent through the ungated hole to pick up communications from the light speed communication relays.

If all was well, they would then proceed.

After that they started discussing credit and Naruto lost interest. Sasuke soon noticed and asked if he would like to leave.

Naruto went to find Gaara.

Lee answered when he knocked on the door of Gaara's apartment. As he entered, Naruto could hear Gaara and Kiba discussing the drill. They sounded excited and pleased. Naruto shook off the last of his mood; it was good to hear Gaara so animated.

They fell silent as soon as Naruto entered the room. Kiba looked guilty. Naruto thought, not for the first time, that they should have been more suspicious when Itachi had asked for him. It should have alerted them to the fact that Itachi had intended to use the minkies.

"It is fine, Kiba-san," Naruto told him. "The drill was a good thing. It will make us improve. It will give us ideas. Already, Kakashi-sensei wants to train you to protect the babies and the kits."

Kiba gave a small growl. "I can already protect the babies and the kits."

"I think he means using weapons as well," Naruto explained. "Perhaps manning the guns on an escape pod. That kind of thing. Not that it wouldn't do you good to train as well. Eating Choza's food is making you podgy."

"I am not podgy!" Kiba retaliated.

"You are considerably heavier than when we were reunited, Kiba-san," Gaara observed.

"We should train together," Naruto suggested. "The three of us. Perhaps Kisame-san would help us." He glanced at Lee. "You could come too, Lee-san, but it could be dangerous for you to train with us."

Lee beamed at him. "I understand, Naruto-san. I have already been invited to train by Kakashi-san. He had assigned Gai-san to be my mentor."

Naruto suspected that Gai and Lee would suit each other very well.

Then Gaara began mooning about Kimimaro and Naruto suddenly decided to accompany Kiba, who was leaving to check on the minkies.

It had been decided that the minkies had earned three days of rest and recuperation before being repodded. In recognition of their part in Itachi's victory, they had been given the small gym and, to their delight, the large communal bath. From what Naruto could see, all the minkies wanted to do was play, cuddle, sleep, eat, swim, vie for Kiba's attention and please Itachi.

They clustered around Kiba. They even came out of the bath to see him. Kiba patted their heads, responded to their chatter and did not complain when they pressed their wet bodies against him.

A few of them investigated Naruto but he gave a small growl and they fled back to Kiba's protection. Naruto did not dislike the minkies themselves but he hated the idea of them; hybrids who had been bred to be so much less than human. He was not sure how they should be treated.

When he arrived back in the crew room he spent a long time viewing the kits and the babies.

* * *

Kisame was secretly delighted that the drill had gone so badly. It had elevated Itachi's status within the crew and confirmed that he was back to his best. Kisame was proud of him.

He happily acquiesced to Naruto's request to supervise the hybrids' training.

Training Kiba and Gaara was trickier than Kisame had anticipated. Kiba was reluctant to hit and Gaara had never struck anyone without intending to kill. Neither of them found exercise for its own sake enjoyable. Kiba did not appear to have a competitive bone in his body. Worse, neither of them could remember how to play.

After an unsatisfactory warm up, Kisame gave them some rules and asked Kiba and Gaara to spar; there were no other possible opponents for Gaara given that he passed out if anyone else touched him.

He watched Gaara attacking and Kiba defending. He sighed. He knew Kiba was capable of far more; Itachi had described how Kiba had attacked him and broken his arm. He noted how easily Kiba batted Gaara away when Gaara broke the rules and bit.

Kisame stopped the fight, gave them a gentle critique and told Gaara off for biting. He then settled to the task of goading Kiba into displaying even a fraction of his ability.

Telling him to imagine that Kisame was kidnapper who was after the kits and was dangling Kazuki by his tail worked.

By the Lady he was strong; not as mighty as Kisame but comparable. He was faster than Kisame; not as quick as Gaara or Naruto but impressively swift.

Once he was trained, Kiba would be formidable.

* * *

Jiraiya's report from Tarrasade was, on balance, favourable. Some of the supplies for the new nursery had been delivered to the compound. There was no rumour that Sasuke and Naruto were soon to dock, so Uchiha fever was quiescent. However, there was a persistent investigative reporter who was asking too many questions. Finally, Klennethon Darrent was visiting Tarrasade and had contacted Jiraiya with an invitation for Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji to dine with him in a private room of one of the most exclusive restaurants.

With the prospect of a journalist on their tail, there seemed nothing to be gained by delaying. They sent a warning to Jiraiya and jumped.

They were approaching their dock and shelling the gestators when Shino appeared at the door of the nursery. At first Sasuke thought he was there to be fitted with one of the harnesses but he had news.

"Boss, Kabuto is here," Shino told him. "I sent out the signal, on the off chance, and his transponder responded."

Sasuke stiffened. Every minute they delayed between docking and moving to the compound gave the media more time to whip up frenzied mob. On the other hand, walking into an ambush would be foolish.

"Tell Kakashi," he decided.

Kakashi contacted Jiraiya and told him to bump up the hired security. Then he asked Itachi to see to Kabuto.

Itachi smiled. Kakashi shivered; when he smiled like that Kakashi was reminded of Fugaku-kyou.

Sasuke looked askance at Kakashi when he arrived to take charge of a gestator and told them that they were docking as planned.

"Kabuto?" he asked.

"Itachi is seeing to it," Kakashi replied. "He should be fine. One of the first things Jiraiya did was revoke all the contracts Uchiha and the Fire Shadow organisation had out on him."

Sasuke had not thought about what might happen if Itachi and Kisame were spotted in the corridors of Tarrasade.

"Who is he using?" Sasuke asked.

"No idea," Kakashi admitted. "No one due to carry a babe or a kit other than Shino. You did want to give him more responsibility, Sasuke-sama."

"I know," Sasuke acknowledged.

When they gathered at the airlock Itachi, Kisame, Shino, Anko, Inoichi, Kunugi, Hamaki, Terai and Fu were missing.

Kimimaro was there, refusing to look in Gaara's direction. Sasuke decided to force himself to be civil one last time.

"Are you sure you do not wish to stay with us a little longer, Kimimaro-san?" he asked. "Maybe until you have made travel arrangements?"

Kimimaro looked down his nose at him. "I have made plans, Uchiha-san," he answered. "I thank you for trying to compensate for what was done to me," he added, with an expression that suggested he found gratitude acutely painful.

Sasuke gave up; they had already done far more than obligation required.

There was no attack but the crowds were growing by the time they reached the compound; Sasuke was glad that they had hired more security. Jiraiya was standing ready to admit them through the outer cordon. Once everyone was safely inside he walked beside Sasuke, bringing him up to date.

"They've already taken note of the gestators; the media was full of it before you were halfway here," Jiraiya warned him. "They are speculating about Gaara, Lee and the new crew members. A few of the brighter ones have noted that we and Fire Shadow have terminated the contracts that were out on Itachi and Kisame but the most popular explanation is that you have hunted them down and killed them. Where are they?"

"Kabuto is in Tarrasade," Sasuke informed him. "Itachi had chosen a squad and is pursuing him."

It was obvious from his expression that Jiraiya did not welcome the news.

Sasuke decided not to ask whether it was Kabuto's presence or Itachi's leadership role that displeased him.

* * *

Itachi had divided his squad into three. Each group had a device that pinged Kabuto's transponder and gave the direction of the responding signal.

Hamaki, Terai and Fu had the task of finding Kabuto's ship and watching it. Anko, Shino, Kunugi and Inoichi were shadowing the crew as they made their way to the compound; their job was to watch the crowds. Kisame and Itachi were hunting Kabuto.

They got nowhere. There was no sign of the ship. They noticed nothing worthy of note among the spectators. Kabuto's signal, if it was him and not a false positive, vanished.

Itachi called the search off and radioed the others to make their way to the Uchiha compound.

Itachi did not feel odd to be going home. In his mind it was less than a standard since he had last visited. He glanced at Kisame. For Kisame it was the end of a long and painful exile.

It was strange that the new household was located in the old guest quarters. They used what had been the public entrance; Kakashi had given them the codes for the outermost door and then they waited in the lobby for someone to admit them.

It was Jiraiya. They exchanged a short, polite but cold greeting and then the old man vanished into one of the apartments. Itachi and Kisame made their way along a corridor to an inner door. This time it was unlocked remotely; Kakashi's voice told them to wait for Inari, who would show them where to go.

It was all very odd. There was none of the pomp and grandeur of Uchiha. Instead it was a larger and more comfortable version of what they had on the Oak. Inari showed them the way to Kakashi's office. Itachi made his report and suggested that Shino might be able to deduce something by triangulating the records from the three locators. Kakashi agreed but confirmed Itachi's opinion that the most likely explanation was that it had not been Kabuto but someone or something with a transponder that had, by coincidence, been set to respond to the same signal.

Inari showed them to their accommodation, which was a copy of the crew room on the Oak. The only differences were that they were more spread out, had a larger shared bathroom and that the kitchen was huge.

Haku was waiting for them. He hugged Kisame and showed him his room. Despite this being the first time Kisame had been there, the room had Kisame-sized furniture and at one side there was his chest, the one he had kept at the household. Haku explained that Sasuke had insisted that a room be put aside for Kisame when the new household had been built.

Itachi's room was an anonymous shell.

"There has not been time to do anything to it," Haku explained. "We have been here less than one hundred minutes." He looked sideways at Itachi. "I asked Iruka-sensei if we could go into the old household and fetch items from your old apartment. He said yes, but that we were not to mention it to Sasuke."

"It is normally off limits?" Itachi checked.

Haku nodded and then cocked his head. "Has anyone told you what Sasuke was like for those eight or nine standards between his mother's death and him becoming Naruto's lover?"

Itachi swallowed. "No, but I have realised that Asuma and Konohamaru hate me for it."

"One day you must decide if you want to know," Haku told him, "or perhaps one of them will decide for you, as I did. Why don't you and Kisame go into the old household now, while everyone is too busy to notice?"

Most of the rooms were untouched, although the odd piece of furniture or decoration was missing. Everywhere Itachi looked there was a memory, most of which he wished he had forgotten. He understood at least one of the reasons Sasuke had chosen not to live there.

Within his apartment, his belongings had been tossed and then left. Kisame suggested that Asuma or Tenzo had been looking for clues as to where they had fled.

Itachi had not known that Tenzo had survived the massacre. It was interesting to discover that Naruto had killed him.

They loaded a hover platform and headed back to the crew room.

Haku clucked over the state of some of the things he had chosen. The furniture and ornaments were dusted and polished. The rug was thoroughly vacuumed. The clothes and throws were confiscated and put into the laundry. Haku picked out four items that he said would go in the sitting room he was decorating for them to use.

He did not ask Itachi's permission to do so. Itachi had already noted that Haku had decided that Itachi's room in the household would not be off limits as his room on the Oak had been. Haku was moving their rather strange relationship into a new phase.

Itachi did not mind. Haku was far better qualified than he or Kisame to know what was best for the three of them. Perhaps, one day, he would decide that Itachi was ready for something other than dancing, conversation and playing cards.

Itachi was beginning to look forward to it.


	86. Appearences

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**86. Appearances**

* * *

Iruka was operating at his limit within minutes of the crew arriving at the household. Never, in all the standards he had been queen of his crew, had he failed to have everyone settled into the crew room before the evening meal on a day when they had moved.

This time it would be a challenge. They had to clear the three rooms adjacent to Sasuke's for the babies, the kits and Kiba. Only one of the rooms was unoccupied; Shino and Ibiki had to move. Tayuya had been sent to the guest crew room to ask Ibiki if he could come or, alternatively, if they could move his things.

Sumaru, Anko, Tayuya and Inari did not even have rooms.

He envied Haku, who only had Itachi to worry about.

When Tayuya came back she told him that Ibiki would be coming as soon as he was able and that Gaara was not coping with his new apartment, which was not padded and did not have the air conditioning altered so that he could hibernate. He had already passed out three times and Lee was worried.

Iruka resisted making the suggestion that he use the cold storage. Instead he asked Shino if he could spare little time to work on the climate controls in Gaara's apartment. Shino, who was trying to wire the temporary nurseries so that they could deshell the gestators, looked at him as if he was crazy.

The last thing Iruka needed was Neji talking to him about clothes.

"This cannot be urgent, Neji-san," he complained as he listened with half an ear to Konohamaru assuring a sceptical Naruto that he could manage if Shino went with Shikamaru to sort out Gaara's apartment.

"I am sorry, Iruka-san, but it is," Neji insisted. "We have the invitation to dine with Klennethon Darrent tomorrow evening. The only formal clothes we have are our uniforms and neither Naruto's nor Sasuke's fit. Not that we should be wearing uniforms for a social engagement at a restaurant."

"Has Sasuke decided to accept?" Iruka asked, relaxing one notch as Shino told Naruto that Konohamaru was more than capable of completing the wiring.

"No, but he will," Neji insisted. "We must have something to wear. Naruto and Sasuke look like they've put on their younger siblings' clothes by mistake." He displayed a tablet showing a still from one of the loops running on the media channels."

Iruka had to admit it looked bad.

"We'll employ the tailor that we used last time," Iruka promised. "We will order new uniforms and some other clothes for those who need them."

"Good," Neji acknowledged, "but that will not solve the problem of tomorrow night."

Iruka gave in. "I assume you have a plan and you want my support getting Naruto and Sasuke to agree to it."

"And Shikamaru," Neji told him. "There is a Hunundau store here. They will see us today and they can have one outfit each ready by tomorrow afternoon. They have a privacy suite and a private entrance. They will even send a shuttle to collect us from one of the airlocks so we don't have to use the corridors."

Iruka sniffed. "And how much will that cost?"

Neji smiled slightly. "Nothing. It is enough that Naruto and Sasuke might be seen in public wearing their clothes."

Iruka had always found it difficult to resist a bargain. "I'll brief Kakashi. You get Jiraiya. It will need all four of us to convince them."

* * *

Naruto was only on the shuttle because Sasuke had threatened to go without him. He could not believe that they were spending time shopping for clothes and going to restaurants when the temporary nurseries were not ready and they had not finished moving into the crew room.

He looked out the porthole. He sighed. It was nice seeing the stars. Using a shuttle was easier that fighting their way through corridors filled with screaming fans.

A neatly dressed assistant had been assigned to accompany them. Naruto listened to her explaining the process to Sasuke. Apparently they would be scanned so that any garments would fit them perfectly and so that they could view any outfit they were considering on their hologram.

"Will it take long?" Naruto asked.

The woman smiled at him. "No, Naruto-san. It is very quick. Many of our clients are very busy people." She produced a tablet. "We could discuss your preferences now. It may speed things up. What colour and style of clothes were you considering, Naruto-san?"

Naruto remembered the shirt, now long outgrown. "I like orange," he admitted.

"We require a style of clothes that is not inconsistent with our uniforms," Sasuke told her, "but more formal."

The woman nodded. "Classic spacer style. We have a number of clients who are spacers or who have spacer backgrounds. It will not be a problem. We have some exceptional hand-painted fabrics that can be made into jackets." She made some selections on her tablet and then angled it towards Naruto. "You might like one of these, Naruto-san."

Naruto peered at the picture of a black jacket with orange flames licking up from the hem and the cuffs. The image changed to one of a jacket with an image of a fox that was mostly on the back but wrapped across one shoulder and around the sides. He was immediately converted. "They're awesome," he declared.

On the way back Naruto sat with the box in his lap. He refused to feel guilty. It was not as if he had set out to take advantage; the other clothes they had chosen were not the most expensive that the store had to offer. It was not his fault that the store manager had been a sucker for pleading blue eyes and whiskers.

Once home, Naruto walked swiftly from the airlock to the household with Shikamaru, Neji and Sasuke having to run occasionally to keep up. He went straight into the other crew room, stranding the others on the threshold as they did not have rooms there. They craned their necks to watch as he thrust the box into Haku's hands.

Inside was the most exquisite kimono that any of them, including Haku, had ever seen.

Haku sat on the couch, tears of joy trickling down his face, panicking about watermarking the silk yet unable to bring himself to replace the lid of the box.

Seeing Haku's reaction was the high point of Naruto's day.

* * *

Kiba, Shino and Konohamaru had continued working on the temporary nurseries while Naruto visited the store. Naruto forced himself to smile and to say how pleased he was that the babies and the kits were out of their shells, when, in truth, neither of the nurseries felt right.

He told himself they would do until the larger nursery was finished.

The plan was to build a large nursery behind the crew room. Once it was complete it would be accessed by converting the babies' temporary nursery to a corridor. Naruto decided to check on the work that had already been done under Jiraiya's direction. He stood in the large, empty shell of a room, the centre of which was filled with equipment that had been delivered in their absence: the milk synthesiser, a dedicated clothes washer and drier, even an automated feeder that Kiba had insisted would be necessary for the kits.

There were three, but only three, cribs. Kurenai-san had told them that purebred babies were better off sleeping alone while Naruto agreed with Kiba that kits would be unhappy away from a huddle.

None of it felt right.

And it was too far away from their room. Even Naruto would not be able to hear them. They would need microphones and speakers.

Naruto shivered.

He had resolved to speak with Iruka-sensei about his concerns but changed his mind when he returned to the crew room. The move was still incomplete. Iruka was so stressed that his skin was beige and his lips thin. Much of the day had been spent on the temporary nurseries; they were coming up to the evening meal and the crew room was still chaotic.

Iruka's workforce had been reduced to Tayuya and Sumaru. Kiba was stocking the nurseries and sorting out his room. Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi had been summoned by Sasuke to a meeting and had taken Inari with them. Rin and Dan were in the infirmary. Shino and Konohamaru were in Gaara's apartment finishing the adjustments to the climate control so that Gaara did not freeze. Anko was nowhere to be seen.

Tayuya and Sumaru had been helping all day. They were tired and fractious.

Naruto put his concerns aside. He fetched, carried and lifted. He suggested that Tayuya and Sumaru concentrate on their own rooms. He dumped Anko's stuff in her room, added a pile of bed linen and towels, shut the door and told Iruka-sensei that it was her fault for vanishing. They made up Inari's bed, stocked his shower and placed his bags neatly in one corner of his room.

It was only then that Iruka admitted that he had not begun unpacking his own and Kakashi's belongings. Naruto told him to go and see to it while he sorted the bathroom and tidied the shared area of the crew room.

By the time Choza summoned them to the kitchen Iruka looked better and the crew room was presentable.

* * *

Next morning Iruka, Kurenai, Kiba and Naruto met to discuss the new nursery. Naruto arrived resolved to give voice to his feelings. Then he saw the day by day work schedule on the wall of Iruka's office. The first topic they discussed was whether they could delay decanting the babies and the kits because the nursery might not be ready. Kurenai had brought Rin to give her opinion.

Neither Kiba nor Rin were keen on delaying. Altering the plans would make delay more likely. Naruto told himself the new nursery would be fine. When Iruka asked him if anything was wrong, he shook his head and smiled.

He had many opportunities to practice that smile as they worked on the nursery for the rest of the day. By the time they were preparing to leave for the restaurant it was convincing enough to pass even Sasuke's scrutiny.

* * *

Naruto had no illusions that the visit to the restaurant would turn out as well as the trip to the store. Specifically, he still wanted to wring Klennethon Darrent's neck for telling Sasuke that fox-human hybrids did not live as long as purebreds.

They were wearing the clothes that had arrived that day from the Hunundau store. Shikamaru's jacket was a rich brown with a pattern based on trees, Neji's was grey with a flowering vine and Sasuke's was dark blue with a moonlit landscape. When it had come to making a choice, Naruto had forgone the jackets he had liked, with the flames or the fox, for a plain dark blue jacket that he felt befitted his role as bodyguard and looked good with his tags. However, when he had opened the box addressed to him there had been all three jackets along with an assortment of matching shirts, pants and boots. Naruto was surprised. He thought he had already pushed his luck getting the kimono for Haku.

He insisted on wearing the plain jacket to the meal with Klennethon Darrent.

Like the store, the restaurant had a private airlock. They were met by the maitre d' who escorted them to a dining room that was large enough for several tables but only contained one. The walls of the room were transparent on three sides; they were surrounded by stars.

Klennethon Darrent and his three companions rose as they entered. One was Garner Parrad. The second was a beautiful young man with long, golden hair and sapphire blue eyes. The third was a Hyuga. Naruto scented the air; he even smelt like Neji. Naruto studied Neji out of the corner of his eye. He seemed calm. He even smelt calm.

"This is Elkellen, my companion, and a representative of Hyuga who is working with me at his time," he informed them. "Elkellen, Hyuga-san, these are Sasuke-san, Shikamaru-san, Neji-san and Naruto-san."

The young man bowed slightly. "It is an honour," he acknowledged.

The Hyuga bowed very slightly and said nothing. His eyes bored into Neji.

Naruto noticed that Elkellen's eyes did not linger on him, as might be expected, or even on Sasuke, but on Shikamaru.

The conversation was convoluted and multi-layered. It was mainly between Klennethon Darrent and Sasuke or Klennethon Darrent and Shikamaru. The Hyuga and Neji said nothing. Elkellen contributed when Klennethon Darrent invited him to do so, which was only occasionally.

Naruto played the dumb fox, as he had done during the meetings on Elessen, apparently paying little attention and only answering direct questions.

The food would have been excellent if it had not been for the company.

"You realise that the scientist Kabuto was here," Klennethon Darrent informed them during dessert.

He immediately had Naruto's full attention, although Naruto tried not to show it.

"We did," Sasuke answered smoothly, "but we were unable to detain him."

Klennethon Darrent gave one of his humourless smiles. "Yes, he left remarkably soon after your arrival despite apparently wishing to intercept you. I suspect he was disconcerted to be the focus of your brother's and Kisame-san's attention."

Naruto wondered if there was anything the man did not know.

"It may be useful for you to know that the reporter who shows so much interest in you, Karin, knows him," Klennethon Darrent continued. "Also that the young man that you rescued from Jewel, Kimimaro, has already been offered and accepted passage on a ship of a known associate of his. I shall send you this and other details, Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru gave a small bow of acknowledgement.

Klennethon Darrent consumed his last forkful of fruit. "The media is fascinated by the ten gestators, Sasuke-san. I confess I also find them interesting. You only had six with you when you left Jewel. Are any of the other four yours? Are congratulations in order?"

"If they were, it would be a family matter, Klennethon-san," Sasuke informed him.

"And how do you feel about acquiring six clones of yourself, Naruto-san?" Klennethon Darrent asked.

Naruto managed not to growl.

"That is also a family matter, Klennethon-san," Sasuke stated.

"I see," Klennethon Darrent replied. "Epigenetics is such an interesting branch of science," he added.

This time Naruto did not suppress a low, rumbling growl. He was rewarded by Klennethon Darrent paling slightly. Garner Parrad's eyes flicked momentarily to the side of the room. Naruto wondered if they had snipers there, concealed among the waiters; as if he could not kill Klennethon Darrent before any purebred could react.

"Elkellen, please fetch our gift for Sasuke-san and Naruto-san," Klennethon Darrent requested.

The young man smiled and left the table. He returned with a rectangular parcel the size and shape of a large tray.

"I hope you liked the reproduction of the drawing in pastels I sent, Sasuke-san," Klennethon Darrent continued. He smiled at Naruto. "How could you not?" He indicated that Elkellen should place the parcel close to Sasuke. "I thought that you might like this sketch in pastels by the same artist."

Sasuke made no move to open it. "That is appreciated, Klennethon-san," he acknowledged. "I thank you for the gift."

After that the conversation returned to an exchange between Klennethon Darrent and Shikamaru that made little sense to Naruto nor, he suspected, to anyone else.

The Hyuga continued to observe Neji.

Neji ignored the Hyuga.

When they were on the verge of leaving, Klennethon Darrent turned to Sasuke. "I have purchased this restaurant. I decided that it pleases me. Feel free to hold functions here..." He gestured to indicate the small dining room. "...whenever you wish. They will only require a day or so of warning. As an ally, there would be no charge."

Sasuke gave the smallest bow. "That is a generous offer, Klennethon-san," he replied.

They waited until they were home; too aware that Klennethon Darrent probably had eyes and ears in the shuttle. Once they were inside the airlock Sasuke looked questioningly at Neji.

"We knew it would come," Neji answered. "It was inevitable. Perhaps we should have also expected Klennethon Darrent to precipitate it. We can expect a formal complaint from the Hyuga to arrive within the div."

"Do you know him?" Shikamaru asked.

Neji shook his head. "There are over two hundred Hyuga active off planet. At most, I would only recognise one or two of them." He turned to Sasuke. "The last statement, the one in which he called you his ally, was the most important moment of the whole encounter. He wanted the Hyuga to read your reaction."

"And?" Sasuke asked.

"You see him more as an ally than an enemy. It pleased him." Neji smiled very slightly. "He thoroughly enjoyed our company. He derived great satisfaction from his conversation with you, Shika. He also liked showing his young lover why he would be tossed away in a heartbeat if you were available. Despite his attraction to Shikamaru, it is Naruto he likes to watch. He would very much like Naruto for his collection but he knows that Naruto is bonded and unavailable. He has some admiration for you, Sasuke-sama, which is probably very rare for him." He paused, considering and then continued. "He is a deeply lonely man and you are not."

Sasuke scowled. "He is a dangerous man," he complained. He hugged Naruto. "You were brilliant, dobe."

"Do we get to see the picture?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke appeared to be weighing up the options of opening it where they were or in the crew room. He made his decision and tore away the paper.

It was them both, naked. Sasuke was beneath, his back and neck arched, his eyes mostly closed and his mouth slightly open. Naruto was above him gazing intently at his lover's face.

Neji's breath hitched.

"There is no way you posed like during the imaging," Shikamaru observed. "By the Lady, that Kuroda has a good imagination."

Naruto knew better. No artist could have imagined that precise expression on Sasuke's face. There must have been cameras in their bedroom on Elessen.

He growled all the way back to the crew room.


	87. The nursery

Thank you for the reviews. They have inspired me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

******************Any scenes considered too graphic are replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**87. The nursery**

* * *

Naruto sat half-listening to Gaara. Gaara was asking, for the umpteenth time, whether Naruto thought Kimimaro had meant what he had said when Gaara had declared his devotion and pleaded with him to stay. It was all that Naruto could do not to say what he thought; that they were well rid of the hybrid-hating bigot and that Gaara was worse that Tayuya had been over Itachi.

Lee did not help. He was too kind. His answers to Gaara's questions fed Gaara's delusion of hope. True there was a possibility that Kimimaro would change his mind, realise that he was in love and return, but that possibility was so vanishingly small that admitting that it even existed was unwise.

Naruto's attention wandered and ended up where it always did, on the kits and the nursery. In his mind he played and replayed the latest meeting in Iruka's office.

Despite Naruto's objections, Kiba had aired the issue of dividing the new nursery and caring for the kits and the babies separately. Worse, Kiba had done it in front of Iruka and Kurenai who had been all too willing to listen to his talk of different rates of development and feral tendencies and teeth.

Now the kits were seen as a threat to the babies. Naruto had not wanted that. He had really, really not wanted that.

The conversation between Gaara and Lee went back to the beginning and restarted for the third time.

Naruto snapped. He did not even take his leave, he just stood up and left.

He went to the infirmary, where he found Rin pouring over her latest piece of equipment. He told her to make arrangements to put the kits into stasis.

She did not respond. She stood and stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open.

Naruto chose to take silence as assent. He went to the room where the kits' gestators had been plumbed in. He did not think of it as the kits' nursery. The kits' nursery was on the Oak, like the babies' nursery was on the Oak.

Kiba was not about. Kiba would be with Iruka and Kurenai, preparing a nursery that had three cribs for the babies and an automated feeder for the kits.

He systematically put the kits' gestators into their shells. He almost set the shells for stasis, but hesitated, uncertain if Rin would have to wake them again before transferring them to long term storage. He changed his mind and left them conscious.

He retreated into the room where the babies were, locked all the doors and pressed the switch on the intercom.

"Rin-san, the kits are in their shells," he announced. "Please pick them up and transfer them to stasis as soon as possible."

He hoped she would be quick. He did not want the kits to be unhappy like the babies had been when their gestators had been put into shells.

Then he sank down onto the floor and wept.

* * *

Shikamaru did not know which was worse, the words coming out of the speakers or Sasuke's reaction to them.

They had been working almost every minute of every day; Sasuke was determined to make as much progress as possible before the babies and the kits were born. Three different holoprojections hung above them. The table was covered with charts, cards, tablets and consoles.

He had been in full flow. Now he was silent and motionless. Shikamaru watched his face, even his lips, drain of colour. His pen fell from his hand and clattered onto the table.

"Sasu-kun," Kakashi said, moving towards him.

Only he was gone, out the door, running.

Shikamaru was last there, even Neji beat him. Kiba and Sasuke were in the kits' nursery. Kiba was telling Sasuke that the kits were fine. Sasuke had discovered that the door between the nurseries were locked and was coming out to investigate the others. Kakashi had already tried the one from the shared area of the crew room. He shook his head and Sasuke vanished into his and Naruto's room to try the remaining door.

They could hear Sasuke pleading, then demanding, then begging that Naruto open the door.

Iruka was gently suggesting that everyone disperse and give Sasuke some space. Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to make his way back to the meeting room; someone would need to tidy up.

"Not you, Shika-kun," Iruka said. "You may be needed."

Neji touched his arm. "I will sort out the meeting room and come back here when I have finished," he promised.

Sasuke was having no success persuading Naruto to open the door so Iruka assembled everyone who might have some insight, including those who had been around Naruto most recently and those who knew him best.

They drank tea and got nowhere.

Shikamaru decided it was time to start thinking. He would assume that Naruto had made a rational decision about the kits. "Why did Naruto suddenly decide he couldn't raise the kits and the babies at the same time?" he asked.

Iruka coloured, Kurenai looked down and Kiba made a noise something like a grumble.

Kakashi scowled at them. "Out with it," he demanded.

Ten minutes later they had a hypothesis of what was happening in Naruto's head. Shikamaru crept into Sasuke and Naruto's room. Sasuke was sitting on the floor with his back to the door to the nursery. He looked at Shikamaru with mute despair.

Shikamaru handed him the two cards.

Sasuke read the first and looked at him in incomprehension. Shikamaru mouthed at him, "Try it."

"Naruto, sweetheart, we'll forget the new nursery. Tiny babies and kits don't need a big room with lots of equipment." Sasuke started improvising. "How long do you think it would take you to build a den in there? What would you need? We could go to the market together and look around."

Shikamaru signalled that he should look at the second card. Sasuke read it and scowled. Shikamaru could see that he was angry. He watched Sasuke take a deep breath to calm himself.

"As for this nonsense about the kits being a danger to the babies, it is just that, nonsense. They need to be raised together, so they understand each other. They will be littermates. One litter. Eight brothers and their sister. Like we are one family, hybrid and purebred together. Like you and me."

There was the sound of the locking mechanism being activated. Sasuke handed the cards to Shikamaru, who scuttled away.

* * *

Kiba had crept away from the others when Shikamaru had taken the cards to Sasuke. He sat in the kits' nursery, looking at the shells, wondering what would happen. Would Naruto stick to his decision and put the kits into stasis? If he did, would Sasuke throw Kiba out? Even if they decided to proceed with the decanting, would Sasuke want Kiba to stay? It was definitely his fault that Naruto was so upset.

The door between the nurseries unlocked and started to open. Kiba was on his feet and moving towards his room.

"Kiba-san, please wait," Sasuke-sama said to him.

Kiba reluctantly stopped and turned. He knew they were both there. He could smell them and hear them. He could not bring himself to look at them.

"We want to thank you," Sasuke-sama continued, "for everything you have done for us. For looking after the kits since they were conceived. For helping us rescue them from Orochimaru and Kabuto. Especially for saving Kazuki."

Kiba's heart thudded. They were going to tell him to leave. Where would he go? What would he do? His eyes went to the nearest of the shells. He had never been as close to any of the hybrids he had raised. He did not know if he could bear to be parted from them.

"Kiba?" Naruto queried.

"Please let me stay," Kiba hear himself say. "I will be obedient. I will do only what I am told."

Naruto whimpered.

"Kiba-san, looked at me," Sasuke ordered.

Kiba obeyed. Sasuke-sama did not look angry.

"You are one of our family," Sasuke told him. "Rough or smooth, easy or hard, you are stuck with us for the rest of your life. Now you and Naruto are going to get the kits out of their shells and spend as much time as you need making sure they are settled. Then Naruto is going to bring you to my office and the three of us are going to have tea and talk about how we ended up in this mess."

* * *

Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hand. He had planned on staying with Naruto while he deshelled the gestators but it was obvious that Kiba was in almost as bad a state as Naruto had been. Naruto gave a small smile of agreement so Sasuke kissed him and left.

Next he checked the kitchen and discovered, as he had expected, that Iruka was there. Kurenai was still with him.

"I apologise, Iruka-sensei, Kurenai-san," Sasuke told them. "I have been ignoring my responsibilities as a partner and a parent. If I had been paying a fraction of the proper attention I would have realised that Naruto was unhappy."

He took a deep breath. "Kiba-san is mistaken in thinking the kits will be a danger to the babies. That will only happen if we raise them apart. If we raise them together they will accept each other. There may be a few nips, Haru may pull Kazuki's tail, but we will teach them not to hurt each other. There will be no more talk of separating them. I apologise if this means reversing some of the work that has been done on the nursery."

Iruka smiled. "Sasu-kun, we are not experts on raising a large mixed litter, so we are bound to make mistakes. Kurenai-san and I were discussing what a relief it would be to put the large nursery on hold until have a better idea what is required. The idea of a small nursery for when they are tiny is very practical."

"We can collect together everything we have so far for the care of small infants," Kurenai suggested. "Naruto can look it over and decide if any of it would be of use to him. For example, he will need the milk synthesiser."

"Thank you," Sasuke acknowledged. He bowed. "Please excuse me, I must go to my office now. Naruto and Kiba are meeting me there."

When he arrived at the office he set the display frame to the picture of Naruto, placed a tablet on the low table between the chairs and prepared the tea tray. Then he worked at the desk until they arrived.

"Kiba-san," he acknowledged as soon as they arrived. "I have something to show you." He gestured at the pin board on which Keitaro's painting was displayed. "I have this ready for their offerings, and these shelves for when they make things."

He pulled what looked like a large book from a row of nine on one of the shelves. "I looked through all the products they sell to wide-eyed new parents; there are a lot. I chose these."

He opened the book and showed it to Kiba. "There is a small tablet, and blank pages and a display frame." He pressed the edge of the display frame and one of the latest holovids of Kazuki appeared; one that clearly showed his tail and his foxy ears. He closed the book and turned it, so that Kiba could read Kazuki's name on the spine. "Luckily they realise that people are going to buy the album before they have a name, so there is a gadget for adding the names later." He gestured at the other eight books. Three were named, the others were blank. He replaced the book on the shelf. "Our litter of nine. My eight sons and my one daughter."

* * *

Kiba studied the row of nine albums. He then looked down the office to the picture of Naruto on the wall. He turned his attention back to Sasuke-sama and examined his expression. He really did think of Naruto as his life partner. In his mind the kits were his children. He truly did believe that hybrids and purebreds were of equal value; he was more convinced of it than even Naruto.

"They will be lovely once they are filled, Sasuke-sama," he observed.

Sasuke smiled at him. Kiba had only ever seen Sasuke-sama smile at Naruto. He felt privileged.

"Yes, they will be," Sasuke agreed. "Please sit down, have some tea and the three of us will talk."

* * *

As Sasuke had expected, most of the damage had already been resolved. The new nursery would be abandoned. Starting the next morning, Kiba and Naruto would work out a scheme for a single, smaller nursery within the crew room. Babies and kits, as far as possible, would be treated the same. Kiba would no longer only care for the kits, he would also help look after the babies.

They lingered in the office after Kiba had left. Naruto sat in Sasuke's lap, his long legs draped over the arm of the chair and his chin resting on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered, his breath and his whiskers tickling Sasuke's neck and ear.

"Too little, too late," Sasuke replied. "I have been ignoring you, sweetheart. I am sorry."

"You have been busy," Naruto insisted.

"You and the children must come first. I shall delegate more. The Therapist from Centre is due the day after tomorrow. Hopefully he will give Itachi the all clear. I am also going to talk to Tsunade. We need Jiraiya back full time; his experience is invaluable." Sasuke sighed. "There I go again, talking about Uchiha when I should be concentrating on you."

Naruto sat up and looked at him. "We are both trying to make sure things will work when the children are born. It is not our fault that there is too little time."

Sasuke was about to insist on taking the blame when there was a loud knock on the door. Naruto slid off his lap and went to open it. It was Kakashi.

"You two," he announced, "are coming with me."

They went through the household and into the guest quarters. Kakashi stopped outside one of the apartments and opened the door.

"No coming back until tomorrow," he told them. "No worrying about babies or kits or nurseries or contracts or projects or missions. If any of us get the slightest hint you have been worrying we will take it as a personal affront." He gave Sasuke a small push to start him moving over the threshold. He then looked at Naruto. "I hope you are not having any thoughts about arguing. I can always send for Kisame."

Naruto smiled. "I would not dream of it, Kakashi-sensei," he replied and stepped inside.

Kakashi closed the door behind them.

The apartment consisted of a bedroom, a bathroom, a sitting room and a small kitchen. A display frame showing the picture of Naruto was on the wall of the sitting room. In the centre of the room was a low table set for dining with a note from Iruka explaining that the food was in the kitchen. Sasuke's biwa was on a side table.

Someone had raided their room. Naruto's favourite cover was on the bed. On the table by the bed was bottle of lube, towels and a card with one word, 'Enjoy', in Shikamaru's handwriting.

The picture that Klennethon Darrent had given them was on the wall.

Naruto closed on Sasuke from behind, hugged him and nuzzled his hair. "I love it when you look like that," he admitted.

Sasuke looked at the picture and flushed. Did he really look like that? He felt rather than heard a small growl in Naruto's chest. Usually it was the signal for Sasuke to pull away so that Naruto had a chance to calm down.

Instead he pushed back against Naruto's body.

The growl intensified. Naruto nuzzled the side of his neck. Lips, teeth and tongue played across his pulse point and then down, under the edge of his shirt and onto his shoulder.

Sasuke turned within Naruto's arms. He kissed the side of Naruto's neck, marvelling, as always, at his smell and the texture of his skin. Then he brought his lips to Naruto's ear.

**oo******oo**


	88. Pasts and presents

Thank you for the reviews and emails. They inspire me to continue this story.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**88. Pasts and presents**

* * *

Sasuke sat in the small meeting room in the public side of the household. Naruto stood behind him as bodyguard, resplendent in his tags. Kakashi stood at one side of the room. To Sasuke's left sat Neji and Haku. To his right sat Shikamaru and Jiraiya.

He disliked the Centralite Therapist intensely. Citizen Scientist Oyone displayed a deep-seated arrogance that spoke of absolute belief in his own superiority and, unlike in an Uchiha, it was not balanced by flair or ferocity.

"It is all in my report, Uchiha-san," he said, looking down his nose.

"I am paying you to answer my questions," Sasuke reminded him. "If you were in Centre, would you be declaring him insane and a danger to others?"

Citizen Scientist Oyone sniffed. "No, there is no sign of homicidal intent and his homicidal tendencies are well within the normal range. However..."

Sasuke moved as if to stand. "That is all I require. I am sure the rest is in your report."

"Sasuke-sama," Haku interjected. "I have a question for Oyone-san."

Sasuke settled back into his seat. "Please feel free, Haku-san. I am sure Oyone-san will answer your question to the best of his ability.

"In your opinion, will his memory return?" Haku asked.

"In my opinion? No," he answered. "Too many cells were lost; the connections that made the memories have gone. He is very lucky that the memories he has retained are about his childhood and his life as an adolescent. This had allowed him to preserve most of his identity. It also helps that he has people who knew him at those times around him, strengthening those memories." He looked as if he had been on the point of saying something else but glanced at Sasuke and desisted.

"Please finish what you were about to say, Citizen Scientist," Sasuke requested.

The Therapist bowed slightly. "I was going to say that it is also helpful that other memories he retains are not being reinforced and strengthened."

Jiraiya offered to walk the Centralite out. Haku, Neji and Shikamaru left. Kakaski went as if to follow but turned on the threshold.

"Get rid of the desk, Sasuke," he said. "You heard what he said. Unless you can promise me that Itachi will never go into your office, get rid of the desk."

Then he was gone. Sasuke glanced up at Naruto, who had said nothing. He sighed.

"I'll ask Shino and Shikamaru to download all the data for transfer to another shell," he conceded.

"Then we can chop it up?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke scowled at him. "I was going to put it into storage. For prosperity. Naruto, it was Izuna Uchiha's desk."

Naruto yielded. "Make sure it is boxed and put warnings on it so that no one can come on it unawares," he insisted.

Sasuke stood up, reached up and kissed him. "It is a desk, dobe, not some evil demon."

"Tell Itachi and Kakashi that," Naruto replied.

* * *

Sasuke had not expected the Hyuga to contact him so soon. Neither did he expect to be offered a pre-paid, life-long contract for the service of the Hyuga known as Neji.

Shikamaru finished reading the contract and set the tablet aside. "Please do not take it," he said.

Sasuke frowned at him. "Why not? Because Klennethon Darrent must be paying for it?"

"No, because it is recognising that Neji is a Hyuga. It means that, if you die, he has to go back to them." He began searching through the sub-clauses and proffered the tablet to Sasuke. "And here is a list of all the circumstances in which they could replace Neji with another Hyuga."

Sasuke read it. His frown deepened to a scowl. "He's already broken four or five of these rules. Is it a trick? And if it is, is it Klennethon Darrent or the Hyuga playing it?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't know. I'll check but I think this is a standard Hyuga contract."

"Klennethon Darrent then," Sasuke decided.

"Are you going to tell Neji?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," Sasuke replied. "Why upset him? I will return the contract unratified with a message that the person called Neji sworn to Uchiha is not a Hyuga. I shall be very polite."

* * *

Naruto wished he and Sasuke could go to the market as Sasuke had suggested but Shi-chan had shown them the amount of credit it would cost to arrange the necessary security. On reflection, he realised that he had most of what he wanted for the nursery. The exception was fabric and there were swatches for him to look through. He smiled; he could always contact the nice man at the Hunundau store.

He and Kiba had reviewed all the records from when the babies and the kits were in their shells. They decided that, provided they were played Naruto's heartbeat, there was no evidence that being in the shells distressed them.

Deciding the babies and the kits could be shelled liberated them to convert the two nurseries into one. They sat in the large kitchen and created their plan while Choza plied them with tea and snacks. Many of the previous discussions about the bigger nursery proved relevant and much equipment they had ordered could be used.

The new plans were displayed in the kitchen for checking. Orders were placed and deliveries received. Once they had everything they needed for the structural work, they put the babies and kits in their shells and began.

* * *

Sasuke read the communication and frowned. He had already refused to see the Hyuga's agent and even a Hyuga representative. Turning away Neji's cousin was another matter.

Shino was busy wiring the nursery. They would be alone in the laboratory. It would be better for him to go to them.

"You have returned a contract and refused to see their agent," Neji echoed faintly.

"And a Hyuga representative," Sasuke confirmed.

Neji turned to Shikamaru. "You knew?" he asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I was ordered not to tell you."

"This is different," Sasuke admitted. "I thought you might want to see her. She signed the request in her own name. I recognised it," he added.

"Hinata," Neji whispered.

"Sasuke could turn down the official request but you could invite her to an informal meeting," Shikamaru suggested. "If she really wants to see you she will accept."

* * *

Naruto and Kiba had been working on the structure of the nursery while Shino and Konohamaru did the wiring. By the time they broke for the midday meal they had made excellent progress.

"In my family," Shino told everyone around the table, "we have many traditions that have grown up around a baby's birth. For example, there is always a tree planted in the garden. And the father gives the mother a piece of jewellery."

"We haven't got a garden and there isn't a mother," Anko reminded him.

Shino shrugged. "This is a different family. We will have different traditions. Like the birth anniversary parties in the boss's office. Are you really going to decant them all on the same day?"

Naruto nodded. "No way are we going to make a choice."

"Imagine always having to share your birth anniversary day with eight others," Konohamaru commented.

Sasuke was quick to see Naruto's anxious reaction. "Each of them can have another date as well," he insisted. "We'll spread them out. One a div except for the div they were born."

"My mother sent a gift for you and Naruto, another for Kotetsu and Izumo and a small thing for each of the children," Shino told them. "Will there be a gift-giving occasion?"

"We are not expecting gifts," Sasuke replied.

"We were planning it for the day before the decanting," Iruka told him.

Sasuke was about to tell them that there was no need for such an occasion when he saw Naruto's delight and stayed silent.

* * *

"Is everything well, Sasuke-sama?" Neji's voice asked.

Sasuke startled. He was in a meeting with Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi discussing the priorities for the next div; the matters that they would have to manage while he concentrated on Naruto and the children.

"I shall have to think of a gift for Naruto," he admitted.

"I am sure that is not necessary," Neji assured him. "The gift-giving is traditionally to the parents and their children."

Sasuke thought about it. "I want to. Only I want it to be something he will really like, not merely a token."

"I am working on music that he and the kits will like," Shikamaru told them. "Without all the nasty high notes and harmonics that they can hear and we can't. Then they can have toys that play tunes and things that go squeak."

It was a wonderful idea. Sasuke wished it had been his.

Kakashi shrugged. "Iruka will think of something," he said carelessly.

"Is there a problem that is bothering him about caring for the babies and the kits?" Neji asked.

Sasuke considered. Naruto was in an almost constant state of agitation. The only time he was not bothered was when Sasuke fucked him and he was fluffy-soft-Naruto. Then he remembered a discussion he had heard between Naruto and Kiba.

"Feeding them. Kiba says we will have to feed the kits using an automated feeder because it'll take too long to bottle feed each one separately. The only alternative is to have nine people there, which is far too many. He says the kits will manage to find the teats and suckle without help but Kurenai says the babes will need to be held and encouraged to feed. Naruto imagines us spending all our time feeding the babies while the kits are left feeding themselves in some contraption in the corner."

Shikamaru nodded. "He'd hate that," he confirmed. "You had any ideas, Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt himself flushing. "I wondered about making the feeder less impersonal." He took the plunge. If it was ever to be more than an idea he would require help. "Maybe something Naruto could wear."

Shikamaru grinned. "Make Naruto into a mama fox."

Kakashi choked on his tea and Neji's eyes widened.

"Or you," Shikamaru added.

Sasuke refused to rise. It was true, if they created such a gadget, he would doubtlessly end up wearing it.

"We'll need Kiba's help," Shikamaru continued. "Have you got the specs for the milk synthesiser and the automated feeder?" He thought for a moment. "You can do the sewing."

Sasuke had not thought about it as a garment. The idea of sewing it himself pleased him.

* * *

Neji was not convinced about any of it. He was not sure about seeing Hinata. He was anxious about Shikamaru being there but could not contemplate excluding him. He did not know why he had agreed to Shikamaru's suggestion that they ask Haku to host tea.

They were using one of the guest apartments in the public section of the household. He and Shikamaru were wearing their outfits from the Hunundau store. Haku was wearing his third best kimono.

Hinata was neatly dressed in beautifully cut but plain and conservative clothes; exactly what one would expect from a Hyuga who was off planet.

She looked nothing like the child he remembered.

They exchanged the most formal of greetings. Then Neji moved onto the more delicate subject of introductions.

"Hinata-san, these are two members of my family. This is Shikamaru-san, my lover, and Haku-san, who is a dear friend. Shika, Haku-san, this is Hinata who was my cousin when I was a child."

Hinata blinked but otherwise gave nothing away. She bowed to each of them in turn. "Shikamaru-san, Haku-san," she acknowledged and took the zabuton Haku indicated.

"Haku-san has offered to serve tea," Neji told her.

"I am honoured," she replied. "I am not certain I would have recognised you, Neji-san," she admitted.

It was a better start than he had feared. "Nor me you, Hinata-san. It had been so many standards. May I ask why you have sought me out?" he asked.

"Because the elders told me to," Hinata admitted. "But also because I wanted to see you. You say this is your family?"

Neji decided to get it out the way. "They are all dead, Hinata. Even the child. The last of them died almost ten standards ago."

Hinata flinched but rallied. "You could have come home, Neji. It was never your choice to leave. You had done nothing wrong."

"I do not want to return to Hyuga," Neji replied. "This is my home. I have a family. I am sworn to Uchiha, not Hyuga. This is what I want."

"It would be easier if you served someone less prominent," Hinata admitted. "Or even if you looked less like a Hyuga."

Neji shrugged. "This is how it is. Tea?"

Shikamaru watched her; this woman who looked so like Neji that it was scary. He guessed that, for a Hyuga, she was letting her guard down and behaving with outrageous familiarity. By spacer standards it was stiff and formal and so controlled that it was almost rude.

It put Neji's behaviour in perspective.

"...Shikamaru-san?" Hinata was asking.

Shikamaru looked to Neji for help.

"Please excuse Shikamaru-san, Hinata, he is irredeemably dreamy. Hinata-san was asking when you joined Uchiha," Neji informed him.

"Kakashi-san picked me out when I was applying for a position as cat," Shikamaru told her. "Formally, I joined Uchiha as soon as Sasuke started taking new recruits. That was not long before Neji joined us."

"And you, Haku-san?" she asked.

"It is complicated," Haku replied.

She let it rest at that.

When she left she asked, with surprising directness, for Shikamaru to walk her out.

"I can see how damaged he is," she said, bluntly, once they were out of earshot.

"It is much better now than it was when we met him," Shikamaru admitted. "He will never go back to Hyuga," he told her. "He blames Hyuga for what happened to his grandmother, mother and sister and, indirectly, for what happened to him once there was no one left to protect him."

She stopped, waited for him to turn towards her and fixed him with Neji's eyes. "He must never admit to being a Hyuga. At best, the elders would have him back on Hyuga in a trice, pronounce him flawed and bury him in some institution where none of you would ever find him. It is even more likely that they would kill him. I will tell them that he shows signs of little training beyond that he received as a child." She held up a hand. "Do not tell me otherwise. Our laws are unconscionable. What they would have done to his mother was monstrous. I will do what I can to protect him. I leave him in your hands, Shikamaru-san."

"What did she say to you, Shika?" Neji asked as they undressed for bed.

Shikamaru told him. He wanted to ask what the elders had threatened to do but he did not want to raise any more unpleasant memories than had already been stirred by Hinata's visit.

"I know you want to ask," Neji admitted. "My mother was working off planet. She was raped by a non-Hyuga." He sighed. "Sharing sex with a non-Hyuga is a capital offense. Rape is considered mitigating circumstances only if the Hyuga reports immediately for decontamination, which includes aborting any resulting foetus. After decontamination, the raped Hyuga is allowed to live. He or she must remain on planet and can only fulfil a menial role. She did not report it. Once she realised she was pregnant we ran."

Shikamaru found himself looking at the ring on his heart finger. "Your father?" he asked.

"Already dead," Neji replied. "I like to think he would have come with us if he had been alive. I have fond memories of him."

Shikamaru found himself, not for the first time, appreciating the boringly civilised planet on which he had been raised.

* * *

Itachi told himself that it did not matter that Haku had told him what the Therapist had said. He knew that Sasuke was busy.

It was a relief that the memories were not returning.

Then, casually at breakfast, on the morning of the gift-giving day, Sasuke asked him to come to his office.

It was a relief that it was not his father's office but there was no escaping the fact that the desk would be there. Kisame had warned him. Kakashi had mentioned it. Even Asuma had found a clever way of working the information into a conversation. Until that morning, Sasuke had scrupulously avoided asking Itachi to come there.

It was not his father's desk. It was Izuna Uchiha's desk. It was now Sasuke's desk.

It was not there. Instead there was the most ordinary of desks, such that would have been found in any of the Uchiha offices. There were thick rugs on the floor, the sinfully erotic image of Naruto on the wall, Keitaro's painting and the complete absence of Fugaku's desk.

Sasuke gestured that he should take one of the comfortable chairs and vanished into an alcove at the side of the room. When he emerged he was carrying a tea tray. He placed it on the low table and settled into the chair opposite.

Itachi sipped his tea. "You have stopped using it," he observed. "Thank you."

Sasuke flushed slightly. "I confess I still wanted to use it. It is Izuna Uchiha's desk. I wanted to rehabilitate it. Kakashi told me to get rid of it. Rehabilitating you is more important. Rehabilitating the desk can wait a couple of generations."

Itachi knew Kakashi would not be sorry to see the desk go. Until Obito had claimed him, Kakashi had been Fugaku's favourite victim.

"Twin male Uchihas," Itachi noted. "I wonder who will lead Uchiha after you."

"There will not be an heir," Sasuke told him. "And I have eight sons, not two, as well as a daughter. The next leader of Uchiha will be any of them or their children or their children's children. Whoever is best suited when the time comes."

"The idea of an heir was introduced to stop candidates fighting over the succession," Itachi reminded him.

Sasuke shrugged. "They can reintroduce the concept once I am dead," he stated.

Itachi liked that. He liked many aspects of Sasuke's brand of Uchiha, particularly his implacable determination to make the unlikely real.

It was comforting to be one of his projects.

"Now that the Centralite has done his job and gone, I would like you to do more," Sasuke told him. "I am going to be very busy with Naruto and the children. Kakashi will be asking you to take a lead in some projects. He speaks with my voice."

Itachi bowed. "I am honoured, Sasuke-sama."

"Good," Sasuke acknowledged. "And how are you feeling?"

Itachi considered. "Much better," he admitted. "It is a relief that the Centralite did not think the memories would return." He hesitated but pushed on. "Haku is a very remarkable person. He makes Kisame happy and I am blessed that he has chosen to give me another chance."

"Haku is Haku," Sasuke agreed. "Being with you also makes Kisame happy."

Itachi considered. "I know." He lifted his chin. "Kisame is the most important person in my life."

Sasuke stopped himself smiling. Of course Kisame was Itachi's most important person. He could remember how Itachi had changed when the two of them had met. The difference was that Itachi could admit it. How ironic that it was only when Kisame could no longer wear the plaque that the Companion should be openly Beloved.

"I have always been very fond of Kisame," Sasuke reminded him. "I am expecting him to sit on the floor and allow my children to climb all over him as I did."

"I cannot see him having a problem with that," Itachi admitted. "At least once they are a bit older. He is a bit wary of babies." He shook his head. "Nine, Sasuke. Six like Naruto and three like you. Imagine."

Sasuke did and smiled.


	89. Gifts and givers

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

**We are very close to the end now. There will be two chapters after this one.**

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**89. Gifts and givers**

* * *

They had decided to hold the gift-giving in the kitchen rather than the hall. The table was fully extended. Choza, the cats and Sumaru were hard at work preparing platters of tasties.

Iruka sat at the table. Usually he would have left Choza in charge but Tsunade had sent Moegi to assist and Iruka had feared that Tayuya would scratch her eyes out. As it transpired, Moegi was in much greater danger from Konohamaru than Tayuya; Moegi made no secret of her attraction to Inari.

Iruka watched Konohamaru staking his claim, Moegi flirting and Inari managing the situation with considerable grace.

Tayuya delivered another platter and smiled at him. He beckoned her over and pushed a lock of hair from her eyes. He knew that she was terrified that everything would change when the babies were decanted. Iruka did not blame her. It had been bad enough when it was triplets; they had to be insane to be raising nine infants simultaneously.

"I'll organise the baskets," Tayuya told him and distributed the nine baskets along one of the side counters to receive the children's presents. Eight had white ribbons, three of which were named. One had a pale green ribbon marked 'Hoshi'. Tayuya had insisted on doing it that way in case people had decided to give different presents for the girl or for Kazuki, because he had a tail. "I wish they all had names," Tayuya confided.

Iruka agreed, but he knew that Naruto wanted to wait so he said nothing.

* * *

Kiba was happy. The gift-giving was going well. There had been a crisis at the beginning when Gaara had passed out, but he was now sitting some way down the kitchen, supplied with food, drink and information by Lee and occasional others. The baskets were filling with small toys and other items while larger ones, to be shared, stood along the counter.

It felt right. Kiba knew it was something to do with pack. It did not matter that many of the gifts were of little use or even inappropriate.

In a day's time the crazy adventure of raising kits and babies as one mixed litter would begin. It would include dressing kits in sleep suits and expecting babies to suckle from one of nine teats.

It was Naruto's dream that Sasuke was determined to make real.

And Kiba was going to help them.

* * *

Konohamaru stopped himself manoeuvring to be between Moegi and Inari. It was not Moegi. It was what she represented; Inari preferred women to men.

Maybe it had been better when they were just friends.

He watched Naruto opening the gift from the four of them; the three cats and Sumaru. It was a large basket of things for the bathroom. Naruto's gaze sought each of them out in turn. He smiled and thanked them.

Konohamaru sighed. Surely he would not find Naruto so gorgeous if he loved Inari.

He wondered if the kits would be like him in character as well as looks.

Maybe, in sixteen standards' time, one of them would allow Konohamaru to love him.

* * *

Shikamaru watched Naruto's apprehension change to delight as he realised that the mobile played fox-friendly tunes.

He moved away from the table, using the excuse of topping up his cup. He walked along the row of baskets and paused between two named Hikaru and Haru. Only Sasuke and Rin knew which of the babies had Shikamaru's chromosomes. Shikamaru wondered if it would be obvious. He doubted it; part of being a full blood Uchiha was looking like an Uchiha.

He was glad that Haru or Hikaru would have many brothers and a sister. Shikamaru had been an only child. On his home planet people saved first for age retard and second for a licence to raise a child.

In Shikamaru's family, children had been as rare as they were precious.

* * *

Jiraiya slipped the ragdoll into the basket with the green ribbon.

* * *

Neji found himself comparing this day to the one before the birth of his sister.

They had been hiding in a hovel on a backwater planet. His mother had gone into labour. His grandmother had been out, working long hours to buy food. There had been no one to go to, no help to be had.

The terrified boy had thought his mother and the baby were dying. He had blamed himself. He had wanted the baby gone. He had wanted to go home.

Then his grandmother had arrived and, as always, made it better.

He thought of Hinata; of what she had said to him and to Shikamaru.

She reminded him of their grandmother.

* * *

Haku watched Naruto open the box of sleepsuits. There were twenty-seven of them, three for each baby.

He, Kisame and Itachi had sneaked into the old household, looking for a machine that Itachi remembered, one that embroidered the Uchiha crest onto clothes.

It was now safely installed in the closet. Haku had used it to embroider Uchiha crests on each of the sleepsuits, a small one on the breast and a larger one on the back.

Naruto was holding up the smallest sleepsuit, showing Sasuke the hole for Kazuki's tail.

Secretly, Haku knew a great deal about babies. You did when your mother popped them out once a standard because she was brainwashed, like all the other women in the colony, into thinking it was her religious duty. Haku was the third eldest in a family where the seven oldest children were boys; his mother's desperation had outweighed their society's insistence on gender-specific behaviour.

Haku had been well suited to his role of substitute daughter.

Then the slavers had arrived.

The colony had grown a wonderful crop of children and adolescents for them to harvest.

* * *

Gaara sat at the other end of the kitchen watching Naruto's family; Kiba's pack.

He sighed. Kimimaro was not coming back. According to Dan, with whom Gaara sometimes conversed, Kimimaro had been a 'crush'. A 'crush' was someone you were attracted to but who did not reciprocate your feelings. People who felt 'crushes' were usually younger than Gaara but Gaara's isolation had made him a 'late developer'.

Perhaps, as Dan had suggested, it was too early for Gaara to be looking for a mate. Dan said that as a 'late developer' Gaara required more time. He had advised Gaara to make more friends.

Kiba was his littermate. Naruto and Lee were his friends. Kisame and Dan were acquaintances with whom he had occasional friendly conversations.

Gaara studied Kiba's pack. He was making a list of people with whom to make friends.

* * *

Kisame was utterly content. He had Itachi and Haku. He had rediscovered friendships that he had thought lost forever. He was accepted as a member of Sasuke and Naruto's strange extended family. Every day was a good day.

* * *

Inari was relieved that Konohamaru had settled. Kono-kun was watching Naruto. It was as if the familiar sensation of wanting Naruto steadied him.

It had been a challenging morning. Inari was thankful that he did not find Moegi attractive. If he had, he would have probably responded to her flirting and the situation would have escalated out of control.

He sighed. Once they were alone Konohamaru would insist on analysing every twist and turn of the day. They would end up fighting or fucking, Inari could not predict which.

He preferred friendship to either.

* * *

Shino exchanged satisfied glances with Izumo when Sasuke opened the envelope and read out their promise to build the children a garden.

He put his arm around Anko's waist and gave her a small hug. One day, not soon, it would be them sitting at the table opening presents the day before their child was born.

He had been sure enough to take her home. His family had accepted her; some of them, including his mother and father, liked her. Anko now had a better idea of who Shino was and why.

He checked his pocket for his great grandfather's love ring to his great grandmother.

Perhaps tonight.

* * *

Anko thanked the Lady for gestators. Otherwise she could see a bloated abdomen, huge tits and much pain in her future. Staying with Shino would mean children; she had known that even before she had gone to Dar and met his family.

At least he would not hesitate to be the main carer. And they would take the civilised approach: few children, as singletons, well separated.

Nine: Sasuke and Naruto were utterly crazy. Even with Kiba, Iruka and the rest of the crew to assist, it was madness.

She had gone with Tenten, Shizune and Suzume to the market. They had been looking for a present for the babies or for Naruto. Anko had found herself looking at rings.

True, Shino might wait another decade before deciding the time was right to give her a love ring. There was a very good chance he would wait until he and Izumo had finished the garden.

Whenever, she would be ready.

* * *

Izumo squeezed Kotetsu's hand. In under two divs it would be the day before Ayame's birth.

One day he would find a way of thanking Inari. Without Inari, Sasuke-sama would never have known what to offer them and Izumo's caution would have triumphed. They would still be living in the poky little apartment on Wave IV trying to save enough credit to buy an egg and arguing about adopting.

Life sworn to Uchiha was vastly better. They had a lovely apartment on the Oak and their apartment here in the household would be as nice once Izumo had spent more time on it. They had plans to renovate and reopen the Uchiha private dock and establish a small shipyard. Shino was keen to help him with the garden.

Kotetsu was happy and that made Izumo happy.

They were having a baby.

* * *

Kotetsu was visualising the minigate automatic alignment system he had designed and was now building for Shikamaru. It would mean that the minigates would position themselves across the hole and there would be no need for them to be installed by Gaters.

His hand was being squeezed. Izumo wanted his attention. He tidied away his thoughts, turned to his lover and smiled.

Izumo was looking at the little garments Haku had made for Naruto's babies. Kotetsu knew he was thinking of Ayame.

Thinking about Ayame was better than thinking about minigate alignment systems. It was even better than thinking about drives.

He squeezed back.

* * *

Choza was pleased. Every time anyone popped a tasty in his or her mouth and enjoyed it he felt a small burst of pride. Being Cook was the best.

If Sasuke-sama had wanted him to continue as a fighter, Choza would have done so. Even though it was so hard for him to maintain the necessary level of fitness. Even though he hated hitting people. If that had been what Sasuke-sama had wanted, Choza would have done it.

Instead Sasuke-sama had given him the best job in known space. He was cooking for people he cared about. He got to spend a goodly portion of each day in the kitchen or the galley, at the centre of the family.

Then he saw Inoichi smirking at him. Choza's euphoria dissolved into anxiety. He took the nearest tasty and popped it into his mouth.

Haku was busy with Itachi and Kisame. He made time for Tatsuji and Kunugi because they were so needy but Inoichi was on short rations.

So Choza should not have been surprised when Inoichi had turned up in his room wanting a fuck.

He reached for another tasty.

Inoichi and Choza did not work. They had never worked. They had tried it often enough that Choza knew that it had no chance of working.

Of course that depended on one's definition of work. Inoichi had got his fuck. Maybe, for Inoichi, that was enough.

Choza ate two tasties in quick succession and sighed.

* * *

Asuma hugged Kurenai and Keitaro as Akemi and Misora dragged their present in from the fighters' crew room. Naruto was on his feet immediately so that he could sit in the rocking chair and pronounce it perfect.

Then it was back to watching Choza gobbling the leftover tasties. It was a very bad sign. Choza had been happy since Sasuke had made him Cook. On a day like this Asuma would have expected him to be in his own personal version of heaven.

Experience made him look to Inoichi.

Yes, that smug contentment was compatible with having fucked your friend with a complete disregard for that friend's feelings.

Asuma sighed. They had not been around this circle for a long time. It was not one he had any wish to revisit. The urge to hit Inoichi was very strong.

Not that it would do any good.

His eye drifted to Kiba. Asuma found himself thinking of the number of times he had come across Kiba sitting in the kitchen while Choza cooked.

It was a thought.

* * *

Kakashi relished Naruto's delight as he opened each gift and the look on Sasuke's face as he watched his lover.

He thought about the gift he and Iruka had arranged for them. Even thinking about it was worth the effort that had gone into keeping the secret.

* * *

Tayuya watched Moegi out of the corner of her eye. She might not want Inari but that did not mean that a girl from another crew could have him. At least Kono-kun seemed to have recovered; he had stopped hovering around Inari and was making puppy-eyes at Naruto instead.

She understood Konohamaru better now. Tayuya had not been able to get Itachi-san out of her head. She had fantasised about them being together, of him professing his undying love for her and even of them having children together. It had been very un-Tayuya-like and she was glad that it was over.

She checked that Iruka-sensei's attention was elsewhere and kicked Sumaru. He kicked back. Neither of them kicked hard.

* * *

Sumaru was studying Lee when Tayuya kicked him. He kicked back out of habit, then resumed his observation.

He was not comfortable with Lee and Kimimaro being hosts for the symbiote. They did not understand the traditions. They did not follow the rituals. They had not proved themselves worthy.

He would have been happier if they had died but he understood that Rin-san had been obliged to save them.

Now Kimimaro had gone and Lee was still here. Sumaru was not sure which was worse.

Lee did not look like a warrior. However, appearances were irrelevant. Sumaru would give Lee a chance. He would teach Lee about the traditions and the rituals.

He would give him the opportunity to prove himself worthy.

* * *

Lee was excited at being invited to the gift-giving.

He had no idea of what it would be like, no idea what would be expected of him and no idea what to bring. Such details did not worry Lee. He approached every day, every opportunity, full of hope and with an open mind.

Gaara had been worried about what gifts to bring, so Lee suggested that he ask Kiba. Kiba had considered and then suggested crockery and cutlery suitable for very small children.

Lee had helped Gaara choose nine decorated bowls and a matching spoon for each. Gaara had insisted on saying that they were from Lee as well as him.

It was nice of him, particularly as Lee had no credit to buy gifts.

Lee tried to like everyone. Some people, like Kimimaro and Jirobo, made that difficult. The crew of the Oak and Gaara made it easy.

One day he would pay them back for everything they were doing for him.

* * *

Ibiki had been relieved to be informed about the gift-giving rather than invited. It had confirmed that Iruka still saw him as crew, even if he was spacing with others.

He missed them. They had changed. Sasuke had grown even more into his role as leader. Naruto's complexity, which had always been well hidden, was showing on the surface as he struggled to be warrior, lover and parent. Shikamaru's relationship with Neji appeared more balanced.

Iruka was the same. Kakashi appeared to fit into his role as Sasuke's second but occasionally gave the impression he was uncomfortable within it. Konohamaru was at that stage when he was trying to work out who he was.

Rin was happy with Dan.

Haku was Haku. Ibiki was delighted by his decision that this Itachi was not that Itachi. It was a perfectly Haku solution to an intractable problem.

Shino had Anko; they had something he and Suzume did not.

Maybe it was time to come home.

* * *

Itachi had struggled to think of an appropriate gift. He knew that it should reflect Sasuke's determination to see all nine babies as his children.

He had selected the display frame because there had been one on Mikoto-san's desk. It had shown a different image of Sasuke for every day of the div. The frame he had chosen had nine windows rather than one.

Then he had decided to buy a second one, for Naruto.

After he had opened Itachi's gift, Sasuke left his position at Naruto's side, came over and hugged him.

Uchihas did not hug. Even Sasuke, new Uchiha, did not hug unless the person being hugged was Naruto.

Itachi barely managed to recover enough to hug back.

He knew what the hug meant. Even though he was no longer Uchiha, despite the horrific acts he had done, Sasuke still saw and claimed him as his brother.

* * *

They sat side by side on the bed in their room surrounded by gifts. Spread out on Naruto's thigh was one of the sleepsuits Haku had made for Kazuki.

They both looked at it. It looked very small against Naruto's thigh.

Tomorrow it would contain a kit.

"I have a gift for you," Sasuke announced and pulled a box from under the bed.

Naruto was torn between delight at being given another present and guilt. "I haven't got you one," he admitted.

Sasuke kissed him gently on the lips. "I have you, what other gift could I possibly need?" he replied.

Naruto opened the box and lifted out what looked like a vest with many baggy pockets on the front. At the centre front of each pocket was a hole.

"The company that makes the automated feeder produce these bags with teats for when you have to handfeed an..." Sasuke began only to have all the breath squeezed out of him by Naruto's hug.

Then they turned to the task of finding places for all the gifts. They settled on a position for the rocking chair in the nursery. Sasuke rode Naruto's shoulders to hang the mobile from the ceiling. The sleepsuits were divided into three piles and placed on a shelf next to the diapers. The equipment, like the anklets and the scanner, were stored in drawers.

They hung each of the baskets, as planned, from hooks on the wall and filled the toy chest beneath.

Back in their room they sorted the remainder of the gifts. Sasuke made a small pile, including the display frame, to take to his office. Naruto looked about the room, undecided where his should go.

His gaze halted on the picture of them together. Naruto had decided that, on balance, he was glad that the artist had made it. The picture of Sasuke was beautiful and, as Sasuke had pointed out, Klennethon Darrent had given them the original; it was on their wall rather than his.

Meanwhile Sasuke sorted through the large basket that the cats and Sumaru had given them. He picked out the things that would work in their shower and then arranged the others on the shelf beside the door where they could be picked up on the way to the bathroom.

He picked up the things for the shower and asked Naruto to open the door.

Naruto slid open the door and yelped. Sasuke dropped what he had been carrying. Instead of their shower there was a bathroom.

Naruto bounced inside and grabbed the small, white card. "It's from Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei," he announced. He rushed over and looked into the bath. "It's already full and heated." He looked about. "Look, a shower. And blowers. And it's all waterproof." He pointed at the drain in the middle of the floor and then at the ceiling and the walls. "We can make as much mess as we want."

Sasuke's overwhelming reaction was relief; there would be no more worrying about either getting stuck on Naruto's knot or having him go so fluffy-soft that it was impossible to get him to walk.

It was a wonderful gift.


	90. Parents

Thank you for the reviews. They inspire me to continue this story.

This was betaed by Small Fox. Thank you.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

**This is the penultimate chapter.**

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

* * *

**90. Parents**

* * *

Sasuke had thought long and hard about how their children should be born. He consulted with Rin, with Kiba and, finally, with Naruto.

To his surprise Naruto had given no thought to it, or would not admit to doing so. After much consideration, Sasuke decided that this meant that it worried him.

The Plan had Rin and all the equipment for an emergency intervention in Kiba's room. Kiba had agreed. He was as keen as Sasuke to keep it from Naruto's gaze.

Kiba would be just inside his room, door open and ready to give advice if necessary. He would give Sasuke each gestator in turn. Sasuke would decant the baby or kit and then take him or her to Naruto, who would be in a nest, ready with their first feed.

Kazuki would be first, because he was still the weakest; if his birth went badly they could leave the others in their gestators until they had dealt with the crisis.

Haru, Hoshi and Hikaru would be last, so that Sasuke would be available to help feed them.

Sasuke had studied, he had trained, he was determined to decant the kits and then the babies without Kiba having to help him.

When Sasuke woke Naruto was still asleep beside him. Sasuke studied him for a few minutes, drinking in his image, before he slid out of bed and went to use the head.

Naruto was waking up when he returned. Sasuke watched him stretch and blink the sleep from his eyes. Then their eyes locked.

This was it; the day their lives changed forever.

They showered together, dried themselves with the blowers and then went to find breakfast.

It was early, in keeping with The Plan. Iruka was in the kitchen. To their amazement Kakashi was with him, nursing a cup of coffee.

Naruto kissed Iruka, as he did every morning. Iruka hugged him a little longer than usual.

"Thank you for the bathroom," Naruto said to Kakashi.

Kakashi managed a smile. "You are welcome," he mumbled.

Sasuke sipped tea and nibbled toast. Naruto put away his customary sizeable breakfast. Iruka told them that he had seen Kiba.

They went into the nursery. Sasuke knocked on the door between it and Kiba's room. Kiba slid open the door.

The three of them went through everything: the trolley on which the gestators would be placed and moved between rooms, the equipment for clipping and cutting the umbilical cords, the monitor patches that Sasuke would stick to each infant's chest, the wipes for cleaning and the baskets for carrying.

Kiba set the milk synthesiser for colostrum and started filling the bags. Naruto went to change into pyjama pants and the feeding vest. Sasuke went through a mediation sequence to keep himself calm.

Putting the feeding bags into the vest was a welcome interlude of amusement. Naruto had not expected the warm bags to feel so odd against his skin. His face was a picture. Sasuke laughed. Even Kiba smiled. There was an exchange of 'temes' and 'dobes'. At the end of it, Sasuke kissed him.

"Decant Kazuki with me," he suggested.

Naruto was astonished that Sasuke was willing to contemplate a deviation from The Plan. He nodded, checked the nest, and then came back to stand at Sasuke's side. Kiba wished them all the best and went through the doorway into his room.

There were the familiar sounds of a gestator being taken from its shell. Then the trolley with Kazuki's gestator appeared in the doorway. Sasuke pulled it into the room.

Sky blue and space dark eyes met.

Sasuke undid the clasps and lifted off the lid, exposing the elasticated bag that substituted for a womb. Inside they could see Kazuki, curled up in his usual position, asleep.

He picked up the cutter. Kiba had set it so that the incision would be exactly the correct depth. Sasuke took a deep breath, chose a place as far away from the placenta as possible and cut.

Amniotic fluid gushed from the opening. Sasuke ignored it and replaced the cutter on the tray. Then he slid his hands through the opening.

He was touching his son.

He lifted Kazuki clear and placed him in the waiting basket.

The faint ping of the scale recording his mass was almost lost in the beginning of an indignant wail. Sasuke smiled, it would appear that Kazuki did not appreciate being woken.

He looked to Naruto. His eyes were wide, fixed on the tiny form of their son.

Sasuke checked Kazuki's airways, which he was already confident were clear given the amount of noise he was making. He wiped away the worse of the mess and then turned his attention to finding the equipment for clipping and cutting the cord.

When he turned back Naruto was stroking Kazuki's cheek with his fingertip. Kazuki turned toward the finger, already seeking food.

"In a minute, little one," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke saw to the cord and then stuck the monitoring patch to Kazuki's chest. Naruto was moving away and settling into the nest. Sasuke carried the basket over and placed it on the bed. Then he carefully lifted out the kit and placed him beside Naruto.

Naruto drew the kit closer and guided him towards one of the teats.

Kazuki fastened on immediately and began to suckle.

Sasuke watched, transfixed. Kazuki's ears were small, blunt triangles. His tail was about the length of Naruto's index finger and pointed. Both ears and tail were covered with faint, silvery fuzz that matched the fur on his scalp. He had five whiskers on each cheek rather than Naruto's three.

He was beautiful.

Naruto was holding him to the teat, although Sasuke suspected Kazuki had no intention of letting go. Sasuke dared stroke the small head and back with his fingertips.

"Invite Kiba in to see him," Naruto suggested. "He's only here because Kiba fought so hard to save him."

Sasuke went to the doorway. Kiba was there, ready to receive the trolley. Sasuke grabbed his hand and pulled him into the nursery before pushing the trolley towards Dan and Rin.

"We want to show you Kazuki," Sasuke told him. "He's amazing."

Naruto insisted Kiba should sit on the bed. Kiba sat and studied the tiny kit.

"He's strong," he observed. "Listen to that suck." He put out a hand, stroked the kit's head with a finger and touched the very tip of one of his ears. He smiled. "It would be very easy to spend the rest of the day watching him."

They took the hint.

The next kit was larger, heavier and the sheen of the fur on his scalp was reddish rather than blond. He had three whiskers on each cheek like Naruto. He did not wail but rather gave a few hearty cries to reassure his parents that all was well.

Sasuke carried the basket over to Naruto. This time Naruto lifted the kit out and placed him where he could find a teat. Like Kazuki, he fastened on and suckled strongly.

The third kit had no whiskers and his fur was sunshine yellow. He was smaller than the second but still considerably larger than Kazuki.

By the time Sasuke brought the fourth Kazuki had finished suckling and had fallen asleep. Naruto guided the new arrival, who had two rows of three whiskers on each side and fur that was blond but neither silvery nor yellow, to a teat. Like his brothers, he was keen to suckle.

Then they paused as Sasuke tackled the task of getting a diaper and a sleepsuit onto a tiny kit with a tail. Kazuki woke up and started to voice his displeasure. Sasuke found himself close to panic, even though he knew that it was ridiculous to be feeling that way.

Naruto's touch calmed him. "Slow down, teme. He's fine."

Sasuke smiled his thanks and decided that what he had done would do. He placed Kazuki in the large basket that nestled in a hollow in the mattress where Naruto could reach it easily.

The fifth kit was slender like Kazuki and not much larger. He had yellow fur and three whiskers on each side of his face.

He did not cry or wail and Sasuke, still jumpy from his encounter with Kazuki's tail, decided to get Kiba to check on him.

Kiba assured him that the kit was fine, just quiet, and Sasuke carried the basket to Naruto, who frowned at him, querying the delay.

"He's quiet but breathing strongly," Sasuke assured him as the kit fastened onto a teat, confirming that all was well.

The sixth kit had the same coloured fur as the fourth, was heavy set like the second and had five whiskers each side like Kazuki. He gave a few reassuring cries and settled down to suckle.

Sasuke diapered and dressed the second, third and fourth before placing them in the basket with Kazuki. He found himself wishing they had names.

Naruto repositioned himself and the two kits who were still feeding in preparation for the babies.

Haru was first. Sasuke knew it was him because he was longer but slimmer than Hikaru. He had a few wisps of Uchiha-dark hair. Sasuke cleared his airways but needed to give him a pat on his back to start him breathing. Once he started he managed a convincing wail that ceased as soon as Sasuke handed him to Naruto.

The kits had finished feeding. Sasuke dressed them and put them in the basket while Naruto sat up and held Haru close to the teat near his left nipple.

"Come on, Ha-chan," he whispered, stroking his right cheek with the tip of his finger. He looked at Sasuke. "Kurenai-san said this might take some time. Why don't you decant Hikaru or Hoshi?"

Hikaru was next. He was yelling before Sasuke put him into the basket and, when Naruto held him to the teat Haru had rejected, he latched on and sucked strongly.

They decided to decant Hoshi and then concentrate on getting her and Haru to feed.

Naruto held Haru and Hoshi while Sasuke dressed Hikaru and added him to the basket. He looked odd next to the kits; too large and too plump and too still.

Sasuke went to find one of the holders for the teated bags. By the time he returned Hoshi had fastened onto the teat over Naruto's right nipple. He and Naruto managed to remove the ninth bag from the vest. Sasuke put the bag in the holder and then held it and Haru the way Kurenai had taught him.

To their relief he finally deigned to feed.

The two of them sat on the bed with the basket between them. Their nine children were safely born and asleep. Sasuke took Naruto's hand and squeezed it.

After a while Sasuke went to fetch Kiba. He took some holos of the kits and babies in the basket and then led the new parents to the other end of the nursery. He handed each of them one of the six wristcoms that Shino had made. On each was a three by three array of small, circular lights. Each light shone blue.

"Remember, they only work within fifty paces of the monitor patches," he warned them. I have now assigned a light to each infant, in order of decanting, so Kazuki is top left and Hoshi is bottom right. If the light goes orange you need to check. If it goes red you need to get to the kit or baby quickly." Kiba handed each of them an earpiece. "If you switch this on you can hear what is happening in the nursery. There is also a speaker in your bedroom, in your bathroom, my room and in the kitchen that can be switched on if required."

"You had any thoughts about names yet, Naruto?" Kiba added. "I am calling them kit two through to kit six in order of decanting but it feels odd given that the other four have names."

Sasuke could have hugged him.

"I named the babies," Naruto answered. "I am going to leave it to Sasuke to name the kits. He picked Kazuki and that's a good name. I think he will pick good names for the others."

"You could have told me before, dobe," Sasuke complained. "I thought we were waiting for you to name them."

* * *

Naruto barely left the nursery for the first three days. There was always a kit, and occasionally a baby, who needed feeding or cleaning or changing. There were many visitors.

But one person stayed away.

On the afternoon of the fourth day he turned to Sasuke.

"I have things to do," Naruto told him. "You will be in charge of the kits and the babies." He observed Sasuke's surprise. "I could ask Kiba," he suggested.

Sasuke pulled himself together. "No, I would love to do it. What are you going to do? Train?"

"Training would be good," Naruto answered. Training would be good; he might train, but it was not why he was leaving the babies and the kits with Sasuke.

He found Shikamaru hiding in an alcove off the laboratory, submerged in the data streams. Naruto sat down and waited.

Finally, with obvious reluctance, Shikamaru took off his goggles and removed his earpieces. He looked guilty.

"I have come to say sorry, Shi-chan," Naruto told him.

Shikamaru looked at him in surprise.

"I did not know it would risk our friendship. If I had realised that, I would have told Sasuke that I had changed my mind."

Shikamaru's gaze slipped away. "I was never honest with you about how I felt about it," he confessed. "I hoped it would go away, Not the baby, the feeling," he clarified.

Naruto realised that the situation was even worse than he had thought. "You would never have agreed if Sasuke had not tricked you," he said, sadly. "It is nothing to do with Neji. You would never have agreed even without Neji."

Shikamaru still would not look at him. "I can never acknowledge him, Naruto. I will see him every day but I will always have to pretend."

It cut Naruto deeply that Shikamaru could no longer call him Na-chan. Naruto stood up. "I will put it right," he promised. He did not know how yet, but he would find a way.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru queried, but Naruto had gone.

Neji smelt so distinctive, it was easy to track him. He was in the closet with Haku, folding clothes.

"May I speak with Neji alone please, Haku-san?" Naruto asked.

Haku placed the shirt he was holding back on the pile, bowed and left.

Naruto took a deep breath. It was a risk. Shi-chan might be cross. Even so, it was important that he took responsibility.

He bowed deeply. "Neji-san. I have done something that was wrong and will be difficult to forgive. I have wronged Shikamaru and, by doing so, I have wronged you. I am here to beg your forgiveness and ask for mercy."

Neji blinked at him. He put down the underclothes he had been folding and took up a stance that reflected the gravity of the situation. "I am listening, Naruto-san," he stated.

"One of the babies has Shikamaru as his full genetic parent," Naruto said. It was done, the truth was out. Now they would have to live with the consequences. "This is my fault," Naruto continued. "I said I wanted it, so Sasuke arranged it and I did not stop him. It was selfish. We never discussed it with Shikamaru. He accepted it once Sasuke had tricked him into it but it is making him unhappy. We need to make it so that Shi-chan is less unhappy."

Neji smiled very slightly. "I already knew, Naruto. I had worked it out. I think Kakashi has as well. I was rather hoping that Shikamaru would tell me."

"That is also my fault," Naruto insisted. "If he told you he would be claiming the child. When he ratified the agreement he promised not to do that."

Neji was silent. Naruto waited.

"Does Sasuke know you are telling me?" Neji asked.

Naruto refused to be guilty about that. "No."

"Then don't tell anyone else," Neji told him. "Not yet. I agree it is a mess. We do not want to make it a worse mess."

At that moment Shikamaru appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily. Naruto guessed he had been running between all the places Neji normally frequented. Neji stepped forward and hugged him.

"I had already guessed, Shika," he whispered. "I am fine with it. In my home culture such arrangements are common, unlike yours."

Naruto found that interesting. He and Shi-chan had never talked about such things. Shi-chan was too kind; Naruto did not like thinking about his life when he was young.

Neji turned to Naruto. "We need to speak with Sasuke," he stated.

Naruto nodded. "I will ask Kiba to take over in the nursery," he told them.

He could not resist spying on Sasuke for a few minutes. He was struggling. He was changing Kazuki and the kit would not stop wailing. Sasuke was too tense. Some of the others were starting to grizzle.

Naruto took pity on him. He walked up behind him, wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed the side of his neck. Sasuke relaxed into him. Kazuki stopped wailing.

"Why did he stop?" Sasuke asked, looking at the tiny kit who was laying naked, mid-change.

"Who knows?" Naruto replied. "Maybe he does not like clothes, maybe you were too tense. Do you want me to do it?"

Sasuke reluctantly nodded. Naruto put Kazuki on his front rather than his back, which made dealing with his tail easier. He had him clean, diapered and dressed within seconds.

"I need more practice," Sasuke admitted. "The others are easier but he's so small and there's his tail."

Naruto put Kazuki with his brothers and sister. "I went to see Shi-chan," he told Sasuke. "He has not come to see the babies because of Haru."

Sasuke stiffened. "How do you know it is Haru and not Hikaru?" he asked.

"I can smell it," Naruto replied. "It was wrong, teme. I should have known that. I should have stopped you once I could think. Now Shi-chan dreads seeing Haru and Hikaru because one of them is his but not his." He shook himself. "I told Neji but the problem is not Neji, it is Shi-chan."

"You told Neji?" Sasuke queried. He was horrified. "Naruto, how could you?"

"I was trying to put it right," Naruto explained. "Neji already knew. He had worked it out. He says the four of us must talk. I will get Kiba to mind the babies and the kits."

Kiba was in the kitchen with Choza. He nodded at Naruto's request and switched on the speaker linked to the microphone in the nursery. Naruto looked askance at him.

"You will do it from here?" he asked.

"For ten minutes or so," Kiba confirmed. "Then I will check them. It will be fine, Naruto-san."

Naruto's whiskers twitched. He did not like it but Shi-chan needed him. "Ten minutes," he agreed.

They went to Sasuke's office. As soon as they had sat down Neji began.

"The situation must be resolved," he insisted, "or it will fester. Either Shikamaru comes to accept the situation or you change it."

Sasuke was studying Shikamaru. "Acknowledge that Shikamaru is his genetic parent," he stated.

"That would be one way of changing the situation," Neji confirmed, "but, you must think it through. The child would know. You would have to think of how to explain to him why he has three parents when the others have two. However, given the complexity of the discussions you are going to have to have with the kits, this is a relatively minor challenge."

"The kits?" Naruto queried.

"Lying to children about their origins is rarely wise, Naruto-san," Neji warned. "What did you plan to tell them? Nothing and then have them discover later that they were conceived on the whim of an enemy? Nothing and then have them look up hybrid engineering and start wondering why you put your desire for children before those children's welfare?"

Naruto had not thought about it. Neji was right to raise it.

"Do you see any other consequences of being open about it?" Sasuke asked.

Neji considered. "No. No one within Uchiha will be surprised."

"You should think about what you will tell the other babies about their genetic origins," Shikamaru warned.

The more Naruto thought about it, the more certain he was that they should tell the kits and the babies the truth. "We should tell them everything," he said. "We have standards to work out when and how." He looked to Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto drew Shikamaru into the nursery and pushed him gently into the rocking chair. Neji sat on the floor. Sasuke picked Haru out of the basket and handed him to Naruto.

"I know nothing about babies," Shikamaru warned them. "I have never even touched one."

Naruto demonstrated how to hold a baby. "This is Haru," he told him, handing Haru to him and then adjusting his grasp. "He is beautiful and we thank you for him."

Shikamaru studied the tiny human who was his and Na-chan's and Sasuke's son.


	91. New Uchiha

**Thanks to all those who have read this story, particularly those who have reviewed.**

**This is it, ****the last chapter****.**

Thank you to Small Fox for beta-ing this chapter.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

_Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another._

**Scenes that are considered too graphic are replaced by oo******oo**

* * *

**91. New Uchiha**

* * *

By the fifth day, Sasuke still had not decided on the kits' names. He was struggling because the babies had names beginning with 'H' but Kazuki did not.

He did not want all the kits' names to begin with 'K' because that would divide the kits from the babies.

Giving each kit a name beginning with a different letter would be an imperfect solution. There would still be the question of why the babies had related names and the kits did not.

If only nine had divided by two, then a few of the kits could have names beginning with 'H', the rest with 'K' and the problem would be solved.

He had almost decided on a four-five split when it struck him. Nine divided by three and six divided by three.

He looked at the three by three arrays of lights on his wristcom. They could be named for birth order. The top row, containing Kazuki, would have names beginning with 'K'. The bottom row had names beginning with 'H'.

He searched through the lists of name he had made. The middle row would have names beginning with 'Y'.

He decided on the names and went to look at the kits.

They were in the basket with the babies. Naruto was in the nest with them, napping. When he heard Sasuke he opened his eyes and smiled.

Sasuke began describing how he had come up with the names. He was a quarter way through the explanation when Naruto interrupted him.

"Teme, sometimes you think too much," he complained. "Have you got five names?"

Sasuke nodded. He looked at the second and the third kit, who would have names beginning with 'K'. He touched the red haired kit. "Kuuya," he decided. He then touched the kit with no whiskers, "Keizo."

Naruto did not object so he continued. "Yoshimi," he said as he touched the kit with twelve whiskers, then "Yuki" for the quiet yellow haired kit and "Yasushi" for the heavy-set kit with five whiskers a side.

Naruto nodded. "Ka-chan, Kuu-chan, Kei-chan, Yo-chan, Yu-chan, Ya-chan, Ha-chan, Hi-chan, Ho-chan," he listed touching each kit or baby in turn.

Sasuke was pleased that Naruto had noticed that the shortened forms of the names did not clash. He was about to comment on it but Naruto had fallen back to sleep.

He settled into the rocking chair to watch them; his Naruto and their children.

* * *

Naruto was pleased that Sasuke had settled on five names. He liked the names Sasuke had chosen. Initially, he had been equally positive about the naming ceremony. It had seemed a good idea to get everyone together to celebrate the babies' and kits' birth.

That had been before Sasuke had gone all Uchiha about it.

It had to be in the hall. It had to include all the legalities. Sasuke and Naruto would be recognised as the parents of each child, with Iruka and Kakashi as parents-in-reserve. The wording had to be perfect. Sasuke and Naruto had to be wearing formal dress. There had to be three Witnesses and a Guardian for each child. Each male child should have two male Witnesses and one female. Each female child should have two female Witnesses and one male. Witnesses continued to play an important role in the child's life, so choosing them was important.

The only easy part was what the kits and babies should wear; one of Haku's sleepsuits would be perfect. Naruto could have kissed Itachi for remembering the crest-embroidering machine. Or maybe not; Itachi smelled too much like Sasuke. As he admitted to Shi-chan, it would be creepy.

In the end, Naruto had to insist Sasuke give up the tradition of male and female witnesses for each child. Once you set aside Kiba, who would be named Guardian for every child, there were twenty-seven members of crew other than Naruto, Sasuke, Iruka and Kakashi. They would be their twenty-seven witnesses.

Naruto could see Sasuke struggling with the notion of someone like Tatsuji or Tayuya having an important role in one of his children's lives. However, Naruto kept looking at him in expectation and, finally, Sasuke nodded.

He then escaped into his office and began juggling names.

* * *

A day later Sasuke had a list of Witnesses and was committing it to memory. He insisted that Naruto test him.

"Teme!" Naruto complained.

Sasuke scowled at him. "I am not going to refer to a list when I am asking people. It would be rude."

Naruto sighed and took the sheet of paper. "Kazuki?"

"Dan, Itachi and Fu," Sasuke answered without hesitation. They continued through to Hoshi. "Jiraiya, Rin and Kurenai," Sasuke recited.

Naruto considered querying some of Sasuke's selections but was loathe to restart the process. He decided to ask only one question. "Did you consult with Shi-chan about Haru?"

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "He picked Neji. He then chose Kisame and Konohamaru. Now you say the Witness's name and I will tell you the kit or baby," Sasuke insisted.

Naruto rolled his eyes. The sooner the naming ceremony was over the better.

* * *

Sasuke quickly realised that Naruto had been correct about the Witnesses. Tatsuji actually wept with joy when Sasuke asked him. Asuma reacted as soon as he realised everyone was included. He sought Sasuke out and told him that he had never been prouder to be sworn to Uchiha.

Luckily Naruto pinched Sasuke to stop him admitting that it had been Naruto's idea.

* * *

Naruto also prepared for the ceremony. He began bringing the babies and the kits into the kitchen to accustom them to being out of the nursery. Once that hurdle had been jumped, he tackled the problem of deciding which Witness would hold each baby or kit during the naming. Shino would hold Keizo, Asuma Yoshimi, Shikamaru Hikaru and Kurenai Hoshi. Naruto was less certain about who would hold Haru, Yasushi, Yuki, Kazuki and Kuuya.

Haru proved not to be a problem. Neji was obviously experienced; he sat on the couch in the crew room holding Haru with Shikamaru beside him.

Ibiki proved similarly skilled with Yasushi. Shino was happy to coach Anko as to the best way to hold Kuuya.

Terai and Tayuya stared at Yuki's tiny form in horror. Then, to Naruto's surprise, Haku plucked him from the basket.

"I am planning on wearing my best kimono, Naruto-san," he warned, cradling Yuki with casual confidence. "If he pukes on it there will be trouble." He frowned at the kit, who did not appear in the least intimidated. "I hope you heard that, Yuki-chan," he added.

Dan appeared both confident and competent but Kazuki paused for only a moment before beginning a typical Kazuki wail. Everyone within hearing range stiffened. It was a new experience for most of them; the nursery was extremely well soundproofed.

"How can something that small produce so much noise?" Konohamaru asked.

"He is talented that way," Naruto acknowledged.

"He isn't calming down," Dan observed. "Maybe he would be better with Fu."

"Not me," Fu declared from the doorway to the fighters' crew room.

"We will try Itachi," Haku insisted and went to fetch him.

Itachi peered at the screaming infant. "He's a lot smaller than Sasuke was," he said warily.

Dan handed the kit to him.

"Careful of his tail," Naruto warned. "Support his head."

"I know about supporting the head," Itachi assured him. "I confess tails are new."

Kazuki paused when transferred. Naruto tensed, certain that he would start wailing again when he realised that the person holding him was unfamiliar.

The kit looked up at Itachi and gurgled.

"You smell like Sasuke," Naruto admitted, his tongue loosened by relief.

"I do?" Itachi queried.

Naruto flushed. "You smell familiar, so he is happy," he explained hurriedly.

* * *

Next it was clothes. Naruto was not impressed by the kamishimo he was expected to wear. There was far too much of it: a kimono, a pleated floor-length overskirt and a sleeveless jacket with ridiculous projecting shoulders.

He did not mind the sword.

"It is only for one day, Naru-kun," Iruka reminded him. "It will make Sasuke happy. It will mean something to him and to the others who were part of Old Uchiha.

Naruto scowled at him. "Sasuke does not want me to wear my tags."

Iruka sighed. "We are within the household. The only outsiders are guests like Gaara, Lee and Tsunade. Wearing the tags implies that you do not trust family and guests. You will be wearing your plaque on the platinum choker." He studied Naruto's face. "What is wrong, Naru-kun?"

Naruto shook himself. "I am not sure. It's like Sasuke is trying to increase my status. I do not want to be above others."

Iruka smiled. "So it would have been better if we all had to wear kamishimo?"

"Yes," Naruto admitted. "Or traditional dress of some type. At least Haku is wearing his number one kimono."

"Don't give Kakashi ideas," Iruka muttered.

Naruto grinned. "Kakashi-sensei would like to see you in one of Haku's kimonos?" He considered. "You would look lovely."

Iruka blushed. "I will investigate whether it is practical to make the whole occasion traditional dress. There are closets and chests full of clothes in the old household. I will talk to Jiraiya and to Asuma about whether it would be acceptable to use some of them. If they think it would be, I will raise it with Sasuke. At the very least, Kakashi and I will dress formally," he promised.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied with heartfelt gratitude. "Haku could dress everyone up," he added. "He would love that."

* * *

In the end, Naruto decided that his main task in the days running up to the ceremony was to make sure that Sasuke's head did not explode.

It had been tempting to tear up all his lists, but Naruto had resisted. Instead he was so supportive that his whiskers hurt from keeping an attentive and interested expression on his face. When he could not stand it any longer he would distract Sasuke with a baby or a kit.

He found himself fantasising about turning Sasuke into fluffy-soft-Sasuke. All Naruto could manage was for Sasuke's mind to switch off briefly when he climaxed.

Iruka and Jiraiya did their best to help. Each time Sasuke made a decision they would implement it, show him the result and Sasuke would cross it off the master list.

By the day before the ceremony every item on the master list had a small, neat cross beside it. True, there was another list, with times, for the day of the ceremony but even Naruto thought that might be useful.

He had asked Kiba if he could manage the kits and babies overnight. Kiba had smiled at him with a surprising glint in his eye and agreed.

That evening, Naruto tacked his list to the wall of their room as he followed Sasuke into the nursery.

Once each baby and kit was fed, changed and settled, they returned to their room, sliding the door closed behind them. Naruto pretended not to see the sheet of paper on the wall nor Sasuke's puzzled expression as he stopped to read it.

"What's this, dobe?" he asked.

"It is my list," Naruto answered. "You have lots of lists. I thought that I should have one."

"_Plan for making Sasuke go fluffy-soft_." Sasuke read aloud. He took the paper from the wall. "Dobe?" he queried, his tone dangerous.

Naruto favoured him with a sunny smile. He walked over to the switch for the speaker connected to the nursery and switched it off. He then picked up the pen that he had borrowed from Iruka, plucked the sheet of paper from Sasuke's hand and made a show of marking a small cross next to the second item on the list.

Sasuke reclaimed the sheet of paper. "_One: ask Kiba to mind the kits and the babies overnight. Two: switch off the speaker in the bedroom. Three: switch off the speaker in the bathroom."_ he read. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To switch off the speaker in the bathroom," Naruto told him. When he returned he reclaimed the list and added another small cross.

"Are you teasing me, dobe?" Sasuke growled.

Naruto was all wide-eyed innocence. "How could you think such a thing?" he replied. He consulted the list. "No, there is nothing that says 'tease teme'," he confirmed.

Sasuke tackled him. Naruto allowed Sasuke to push him back onto the bed and kiss him. It might not be in the plan but it confirmed that he had Sasuke's full attention.

When Sasuke paused to take a breath Naruto stood up, throwing Sasuke over his shoulder.

"Dobe!" Sasuke complained.

"Bathroom," Naruto informed him and strode through the doorway.

He stripped Sasuke, washed him, rinsed him and lifted him into the bath. Sasuke permitted it without objection. He sat on the shelf that ran around the sides, the water up to just below his nose, and watched Naruto expectantly.

Naruto began to dance. His body swayed and flowed. Then, gradually, he removed his clothes. Sasuke watched avidly as his tan skin with its glorious golden sheen was revealed.

Sasuke's hand dipped under the water.

Naruto stopped moving immediately. He raised a finger. "No touching," he ordered.

Sasuke considered being disobedient. It would be interesting to see how Naruto would react. Then he imagined some of the possible consequences and put his hands on the edge of the tub where Naruto could see them.

Naruto smiled at him and danced towards the shower.

**oo******oo**

Naruto studied him. It reminded him of when he used to watch Sasuke when they were cats together. He remembered seeing him asleep in his bunk that first time, when Shikamaru had sent Naruto to wake him up. Sasuke had been pretty then.

He was beautiful now.

* * *

Naruto woke at the usual time the next morning. He stretched carefully to avoid waking Sasuke, slid out of bed and pulled on some clothes.

It had been good to sleep through a night without waking to feed the kits and the babies but he had missed them. He suppressed the urge to check on them. If the kits smelt him they would start demanding milk and he needed to feed himself first.

He went through to the kitchen, kissed Iruka and sat down. Tayuya, Inari and Konohamaru had started breakfast early; Kono-kun placed a plateful of food in front of him within a few minutes.

"One more day," Iruka said to him with a small smile.

Naruto smiled back. "I have decided to enjoy it," he replied. "Does everyone know what they are wearing, Haku-san?"

Haku sipped his tea and assured him that all was well.

Naruto woke Sasuke before he fed the babies. Sasuke sat in the rocking chair, feeding Haru and watching Naruto with the others. He did not seem in the least stressed.

It was nice.

They followed the schedule Sasuke had prepared. At the appointed time, Naruto and Sasuke donned their kamishimo, Kiba dressed in his kimono and they went to the hall. Naruto carried the basket of kits and babies, Kiba the supplies and Sasuke the nine official Uchiha tablets.

The hall was full of their family and their guests. Naruto smiled. Haku had persuaded each one of them into some form of traditional dress. They looked amazing. Haku himself looked incredible wearing the kimono Naruto had given him. Sumaru had been allowed to wear one of his swords. Tayuya was a doll-like beauty in kimono and obi. Kisame and Ibiki looked magnificent in kamishimo. Iruka was wearing a kimono that, Naruto suspected, was a compromise between what Haku or Kakashi would have chosen for him and the simple outfit he would have selected for himself.

Kazuki was first. Kiba took him from the basket and handed him to Itachi. Itachi, Dan and Fu stood to the left, Naruto and Sasuke in the centre and Iruka and Kakashi to the right. Kiba picked up the tablet that had been keyed to Kazuki, handed it to Sasuke and took up his position on the far right.

Sasuke placed his thumb in the depression on the frame, held the tablet so that it could read his iris and spoke the words that appeared on the screen.

"I, Sasuke Uchiha, recognise this individual as my son. I name him Kazuki Uchiha." He passed the tablet to Naruto.

"I, Naruto, Beloved Companion of Sasuke Uchiha, recognise Kazuki Uchiha as my son." He handed the tablet to Iruka.

"I, Iruka, sworn to Uchiha, declare myself parent-in-reserve to Kazuki Uchiha."

Kakashi accepted the tablet from him. "I, Kakashi, sworn to Uchiha, declare myself parent-in-reserve to Kazuki Uchiha."

Kiba took the tablet. "I, Kiba, sworn to Uchiha, accept the role of Guardian to Kazuki Uchiha," he said and then carried the tablet to Fu.

"I, Fu, sworn to Uchiha, stand witness to the naming of Kazuki Uchiha." He passed the tablet to Dan.

"I, Dan, sworn to Uchiha, stand witness to the naming of Kazuki Uchiha," he said and then held the tablet so that Itachi could touch it while cradling Kazuki.

"I, Itachi, sworn to Uchiha, stand witness to the naming of Kazuki Uchiha," Itachi said. He then walked over and handed Kazuki to Sasuke.

Sasuke presented Kazuki to the audience. "Kazuki Uchiha," he declared.

Naruto tensed, expecting Kazuki to mark the occasion with a wail but he was silent. He took the kit from Sasuke and gave him a cuddle before returning him to the basket.

With pauses to check or cuddle babies and kits, they worked their way through the litter. The only variation, other than the Witnesses, was when they reached Haru. Sasuke added an acknowledgement that Shikamaru was Haru's genetic parent and Shikamaru held the tablet between Kakashi and Kiba, speaking words to confirm his part in Haru's conception.

When Hoshi had been named the formalities were over and the celebrations could begin.

* * *

Kakashi looked about the room. He studied the fusion of old and new Uchiha: Asuma, his oldest friend, surrounded by his family; Shikamaru, who was far more than Kakashi had imagined; Iruka, who insisted on loving him; Sasuke, who had been his reason for existence until he had found a life worth living.

His eye came to rest on Naruto: the fox-boy who had mysteriously appeared in their lives and changed everything; the gift to Sasuke from the past; the catalyst that had transformed Kakashi's wildest hopes into reality; the accelerant that was propelling them into the future at breakneck speed.

Kakashi watched him with the babies.

Of all the decisions Sasuke had made, this one might prove to be the most important. His children would know Naruto. They would be raised by him. Due to Kabuto's interference they would live surrounded by his bright shadows.

This was Uchiha's future.

**The End**


	92. The complete space saga

**The complete series**

_This is the order of the stories in this series_

* * *

**In the cold of space you find the heat of suns** chapters 1-16

_Can his spacer crew keep Sasuke alive and his identity secret so he survives to lead a new Uchiha? Will the fox-boy they acquire affect Kakashi's carefully laid plans?_

* * *

Silver Leaf Tales: **Tying the knot**

_Naruto and Sasuke were friends & rivals but now they are lovers. What does it mean to each of them? Will their differences stand between them?_

* * *

**In the cold of space you find the heat of suns** chapters 17-91

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 1 – **The Cook and the Nursemaid**

_Can Choza break the bad habit of a lifetime and find someone who appreciates him?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 2 - **Knives**

_Can Lee make himself extraordinary enough to counter Gaara's obsession with beautiful blonds?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 3 -** Vacation**

_Shikamaru decides that Naruto needs cheering up._

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 1 Partners in the dance

_Can Haku circumvent all their problems and achieve his aim of melding him, Kisame and Itachi into a threesome?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 5 - **Kiba's day off**

_Iruka persuades Kiba to have a day off while Sasuke and Naruto are away. Surely they can cope looking after Naruto's litter for a single day?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 6 - **Friendship**

_Sometimes being friends is more important than being lovers. That's what Inari thinks but will Konohamaru agree?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 4 - **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 2 Kisame's miracle

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 7 - **Honour your parents**

_Shikamaru receives a message that sends him into a funk. Can the crew help him out?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 8 – **Patron** [2 chapters]

_His relationship with The Last Uchiha has made Naruto the most famous hybrid in known space. Can he use his fame to help other hybrid?_

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 9 - **Homeward bound**

_Gaara has decided to return to Kaze and Lee, of course, will go with him._

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 10 - **Opening the cage**

_Kakashi realises Iruka is depressed, but why?_

* * *

**Iteration** Chapters 1-13

_Continuing the space saga about Sasuke, Naruto, their children and their family. Enemies emerge as Uchiha thrives & Naruto champions other hybrids - a testing time for New Uchiha._

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 3 First steps

* * *

**Iteration** Chapters 14-16

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 11 - **Medico**

_Rin through someone else's eyes._

* * *

**Iteration** Chapters 17-43

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** – Chapter 4 Needing

* * *

**Iteration** Chapters 44-104

* * *

Tales in Tarrasade 4 – **Pas de Trois** - Chapter 5 Princess

* * *

**Iteration** Chapters 105 – 119

* * *

**Real** [11 chapters]

_Set in Sasuke & Naruto's extended family. What makes someone real? Haru struggles with this and other issues as he begins to grow up._

* * *

**Leader** [107 chapters]

_Follow Sasuke & Naruto's extended family. With Uchiha expanding, will opposition come from outside or within?_

* * *

...


End file.
